


The Coming of the King

by J_W_Quinne



Category: Naruto
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Uzumaki Naruto, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto) Feels, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto)-centric, F/M, Gen, How Do I Tag, M/M, Out of Character, Out of Character Kurama (Naruto), Out of Character Uzumaki Naruto, Protective Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama, Sassy Uzumaki Naruto, Smart Uzumaki Naruto, Suspension Of Disbelief
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:28:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 26
Words: 110,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28094658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_W_Quinne/pseuds/J_W_Quinne
Summary: "What is your mission, Kitsune?" Sarutobi asks."To protect Uchiha Sasuke." the young boy replies. Blond and scarlet hair. One eye blue and the other violet. The boy barely speaks. He actually just retaught himself how to speak a few days ago.After torture at age four, Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, the jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, is taken under the wings of the group of ANBU that saved him. Four years later, only eight years old, here stands Kitsune-sama, the commander of the ANBU.Just how far will Naruto go to protect Uchiha Sasuke? And from what?Previously known as: The Tale of a Genius in the Making
Relationships: Deidara/Sasori (Naruto), Gaara & Uzumaki Naruto, Gaara/Hyuuga Neji, Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi & Mitarashi Anko, Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Itachi, Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Shisui, Hatake Kakashi & Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka, Hoshigaki Kisame/Uchiha Itachi, Hyuuga Hinata/Inuzuka Kiba, Jiraiya & Uzumaki Naruto, Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama & Uzumaki Naruto, Mitarashi Anko & Uchiha Itachi, Mitarashi Anko & Umino Iruka, Mitarashi Anko/Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Itachi & Umino Iruka, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Shisui & Umino Iruka, Umino Iruka & Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 30
Kudos: 106





	1. In the Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the link for the cover art, done by me!
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/CI1Pfbpl3sE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

**Chapter 1 - In the Beginning**

**Author's Note: Hi, this is my first story, and please note that there are possible trigger warnings: mentions of child abuse, torture, and brief mentions of rape, however nothing is detailed. Be warned and read at your own risk. Thank you. Also, any critiquing is welcomed. I'm trying to improve the quality of my writing in general.**

**Editor’s Note: Hi, this is the author back again to edit my old (finished) stories, finish my old (unfinished [abandoned temporarily]) stories, and (hopefully) write some new stories (hopefully)! Everything will be cross-posted on Ao3 because I prefer that platform. I’m going to leave in all of my old notes because I think they’re cringey and hilarious. These will also be cringey and hilarious as need be. Check out my bio and links to find out where to harass me (like my new Redbubble store! Hooray for pride merch!)**

**Forms of Speech:**

**"Kurama speaking."**

**'Kurama thinking (this won't happen very often).'**

_"Naruto signing, as in sign-language, yes."_

"People speaking (Ha, I almost typed "Naruto speaking" ha. He doesn't do that much, if you can't tell by the aforementioned format.)"

'People thinking (Usually going to be Naruto, just saying.)' 

**This is the only time that I'll tell you this information, so please try to keep it in mind. I will try to specify these things from time to time in text.**

**Onto the summary~ Sorry for being annoying~~~~**

Naruto Uzumaki. When you hear that name, what do you think of? Probably a blond haired, blue eyed, ecstatic, trouble-making kid that has no business being a ninja. 

Kitsune-sama is the commander of the ANBU, holding more power over the ANBU than the Hokage himself. "He's just a kid," most say when first meeting him. Well, don't ever call him that to his face, or he'll kick your ass. Most of the ANBU ended up learning sign language to help their taichou, seeing as he's mute. Both mute and blind, it isn't a very good combination. It’s imperative that ANBU shinobi understand the orders Kitsune-sama signs at them. Nonetheless, he's just a kid, and already he's the strongest ANBU in all of history.

There's so much of a difference between them, nobody would ever expect that they're actually the same person. 

Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki, Kitsune-sama, they are all one and the same. What would change in his life if he had been taught from a young age by a handful of ANBU and if he had met the Nine-Tails at age four? What would happen if he had met Jiraiya and Tsunade after nearly dying at age four, after the same event that lead him to meet Kurama? 

What happens when Kitsune goes undercover into the academy the morning after the Uchiha Massacre? Why did he go undercover? To protect Uchiha Sasuke.

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	2. The Night It All Began

**Chapter 2 - The Night it All Began**

**A/N: Okay, so here's the deal. I'll be updating this on Sundays and Wednesdays. I can't promise that every update will be a new chapter as I might not be able to update. If so, I will add an author's note explaining why I am unable to update. I am a highschool student in several advanced and honors classes, so updating may be hard, but I'll try my best. Trigger warnings are in this chapter. Beware. By the way, SasuNaru is a thing. Also, I spell jinchuuriki differently nearly every time I do it because I use a different writing program and copy it in here. Sorry.**

**Editor’s Note: There are no active updates to this story any longer, as it is now complete! SasuNaru is indeed a thing and it’s romantic, not specifically sexual. Honestly, listen to the trigger warnings, please. It isn’t particularly graphic compared to other things you may read, but it is sad and there’s a lot of introspection. Also, I am now a college student, so hooray? Check out my bio for links to harass me (like my Redbubble if you want to support my poor college student self and get some cool queer merch)!**

**Chapter 2**

**Third Person P.O.V.**

It was dark along the streets of Konohagakure no Sato. The street lights and the miniscule light coming from windows of nearby homes was all the brightness to guide one's way. All that is heard at a particular street is running, heavy panting, and cursing. "Demon!" the crowd screamed again and again. The crowd isn't too big, not big enough to attract attention from the ANBU, the elite warriors, at least. The crowd certainly isn't small either, though. Several adults and teenagers alike create the group. 

A young blond boy with several scarlet streaks in his hair, no more than four years old was at the head of it all, running for his life from those who would like nothing more than to watch him perish. He doesn't understand why the people chase him, and why they hate him. He was called a demon, and he was even kicked out of the orphanage. It was only thanks to the Hokage, the leader of the village, that he wasn't living on the street. He scrounged for food and clothes in the garbage and tried desperately to keep himself alive.

He ran as fast as his little legs would carry him, but he knew that the adults chasing him would no doubt catch up to him soon. He was small in stature, a tiny thing really. Not only that, but he suffered from malnutrition and his ribs were very clear on his torso. He would need to evade the crowd, and quickly. He turned down an alley and ran back, into the darkness. He hoped desperately that it wasn't a dead end. It wasn't easy to try to trick people older than him. 

Sadly enough for the child, he ran directly into a pair of strong arms. Fear consumed him, and he was moving again, faster and faster, out and away from the village. He dared not scream or kick or shout, for he knew his fate. Maybe he would die faster if he didn't stir up any trouble for the man kidnapping him. He was afraid, though. He trembled slightly and tried desperately to suppress the terror filled whimpers building up in his throat. He wanted to cry, but he also didn't want to give into the villagers, as they liked it better when he cried. 

He hated losing, and tried to make it a game. How long could he evade the villagers? Which garbage bag would hold something edible? How long could he keep his happy attitude? How long could he ignore the glares? How long could he pretend he wasn't miserable? How long could he make himself survive? How long could he keep from screaming?

After only a few minutes, but was surely several miles from Konoha, they arrived at a building. They entered and walked into a large room, the man still carrying the poor boy. The boy blinks and squints as he tries to get used to the sudden light. When he opens his eyes, one can see that one eye, his left one, is distinctly blue, while the other is shockingly violet. 

The man shoved the poor child against a wall made of smooth stone. The little boy squeaked from the unexpected pain and force. He looked up to look at the man's face and was met with long brown hair, and a pair of scarily white eyes. The white-eyed man lifted him against the wall so that they were at eye level with each other. He then reached over to a table nearby and grabbed a wooden stake.

"Now, hold your hand out for me." the man said, speaking for the first time. His voice was soft and smooth, a silver-tongued speaker to be sure. "No, against the wall." he corrected when the young boy mistakenly held out his hand toward the man. The young boy did exactly as asked, though. However, the boy was not expecting for that stake the man was holding to get rammed into his wrist, hard enough to sink into the stone and hold the boy's hand against it. 

A sickening crack was heard, signaling the breaking of the boy's wrist under the chakra-enhanced pressure. The boy squeaked again, but did not give the desired scream. This process was then repeated again with the other hand and again at each of the boy's ankles.

Crucified against a stone wall, and the boy did nothing more than squeak. "Why don't you scream for me, demon brat?" the man asked. The boy simply shook his head, his face contorted in agony. 

The man used a kunai knife to cut open the boy's shirt and worked it off of him, uncaring of the ruined fabric that took so long for the boy to find. The man then took the kunai to the boy's torso, carving words that the boy couldn't read. And all the while, the boy did not even squeak, not wanting to give into his torturer. If the boy survived this, he doubted he would ever make a sound again due to it. 

A new sort of game began: How long can he resist the pain? and How long would he be willing to survive?

Word after word, carved into his chest and stomach. It is a miracle that the child didn't die. The words read things like, "Demon, Monster, Murderer, Worthless, Idiot, Dead-last." Eventually, the man got bored with cutting the boy up. He spit insults at the poor, bleeding boy who had yet to cry out or to shed a single tear. 

The man exited the room leaving the poor boy crucified to the wall, pulling himself up by his bloody wrists in order to get a gasp of air. The boy was left there all night, scared, hungry, and bleeding. 

When the man returned, he raped the poor boy. The man cursed him, dressed again and left the broken boy who was too young to understand the gravity of what had just been taken from him. Again, the boy did not scream, did not cry. He refused to give the vile man what he wants. 

Sorrow suddenly overwhelms the boy as he remembers what day it is. It's the boy's birthday, October tenth. 'Why would somebody do this to me? Why do people hate me? Why does it always have to be me? Why can't it be somebody else?' But even in his situation, the boy knew that he didn't want anyone to go through something like this. He'd save everyone, if he could. He'd save even this terrible, wretched, vile man, because nobody deserves to be in pain. 

Although, tragedy causes pain in people, and those people spread the darkness because of things like revenge. If the boy had an opportunity to take on the world's sorrow, he knew that he would jump at the chance, just to keep things like this from happening. One might think that the boy is selfless, but in actuality, he's quite the hypocrite.

When the man returned again, he found that the boy was still awake, heaving his broken and bloody body upwards for a gasp of air, struggling to survive. The man took advantage of the boy's naked state and took a senbon, or acupuncture needle, to his legs, carving patterns into them that the innocent child thought were lovely. Yet, the boy did not cry out in pain. He didn't make a sound at all. Eventually, the white-eyed man got mad. 

"If you won't scream for me, then what use do you have for a tongue?!" the man finally shouted. He climbed to his feet with a kunai in hand and proceeded to carve out the boy's tongue. His dual colored eyes widened and yet, he still didn't make a sound. Now choking on blood and already suffocating and heaving for breath, the boy stared at the man with wide, innocent eyes. Those eyes that had watched every sin without emotion, those eyes mocked him, so the man stabbed the kunai into each and left the boy for dead, still crucified to the stone wall.

It was as the man left that the boy finally rested. His ruined eyes drifted closed and he fell unconscious. His eyes opened a moment later, and he discovered that even though his eyes were ruined and bloody, he could see. The boy was standing in a dark place, wearing clothes, with water up to his ankles. He couldn't quite understand what was happening. There were rusted pipes along the ceiling and walls. 

Without hesitation, the boy started walking. If he was going to get anywhere, he'd have to do something. He got to a fork in his path and chose the way that had warmer air coming from it, hoping that he could find an exit to this dark place. Soon, he got to what looked to be a cage. The bars were bigger around than he is, and he could easily slip between them. Whatever was inside of the bars was radiating heat, causing the air to be warmer. He leaned forward a bit. It wasn't an exit, but maybe whatever lurked within would tell him how to get out of this place.

**"So, my jailer has finally deigned to grace me with his presence,"** a loud, slightly demonic voice thundered. The thing inside the cage shifted into the dingy light. Burnt orange fur and slitted crimson eyes, a gigantic fox stared lazily at the boy. And suddenly the boy understood why everyone hated him, because for some reason, he's conversing with the demon fox that brought destruction to all of Konoha the day he was born. He didn't even know that he could do this, and yet everyone else knew. 

**"Yeah, there's a reason for that, too,"** he says. So the fox can read his mind then, too. **"I can only read your mind because that happens to be where we are right now, and where I am all the time. We're in your mindscape. Your consciousness must have escaped into here because you're so close to death. Do you want me to tell you why your idiotic village hates you?"** The boy nods up at the fox. 

The great fox leans down closer to the mostly blond boy, not making an attempt to get through the bars, though. **"The Yondaime Hokage wasn't able to kill me four years ago. In all honesty, I can't be killed. I am a large bundle of chakra, the energy formed through the power of the mind and body, that happens to have a consciousness. I'm called a chakra beast, and even if I dissipate, I'll eventually reform. So because I can't be killed, the only option to subdue me is to seal me into something. However, unlike my other brethren that can be held in material objects, I can't. So, the something I was sealed into had to be a someone, a very specific type of person. This person had to have large stores of chakra and had to be descended from one of two family lines, the Senju or the Uchiha. Nobody from the Uchiha clan was near when he faced me, only my previous jinchuuriki, Uzumaki Kushina, and his newborn son, an Uzumaki descended from the Senju with gigantic chakra reserves, despite having been just born,"** the fox said, his face taking on a sad look. 

**"Kushina had been too weak after giving birth to her and Namikaze Minato's son, you, to contain me again. So, your parents gave their lives to seal me into their newborn son, you. Now, you're my jinchuuriki, my container. The identity of a jinchuuriki is rarely ever known. No one really understands what it means to be a jinchuuriki, so the jinchuurikis are usually excluded and picked on. It was impossible to keep your status a secret, though. Everyone knew. That's why you're hated, because you contain a demon. Those ignorant fools don't know that you aren't the demon. I hate it, I wish that they would just stop hurting you!"** he growled. 

The boy tried to process the new information. He was pretty smart, especially for a just-turned four year old, but it would've taken an idiot to not see the resemblance between him and the fourth Hokage. He had assumed that he was related to the Yondaime Hokage in some way, but he honestly didn't expect that the legend of the ninja was his father. 

He wondered what it truly meant to be a jinchuuriki and about his parents. But his most prominent thoughts were about the beast himself. He wondered about the fox's motive for destroying the village and why he looked so sad when talking about Kushina's death. The boy's mind was spinning with unanswered questions and he felt like he was overthinking everything. Tears gathered in his eyes. His head hurt and the stress from thinking so hard was making him want to cry. The boy was only four, so it definitely is a normal reaction.

**"Do you want more answers?"** the fox asks, slightly concerned by the tears forming in his jinchuuriki's eyes. The boy with bi-colored hair nodded again. **"Jinchuurikis usually become ninja. They do this typically to learn how to control their beast's chakra, to prevent it from hurting the village. That's every jinchuuriki's main goal, to keep their beast contained and keep it from hurting the villagers. Jinchuurikis also become ninjas so that they can learn how to protect people and help their village.”**

**“About your parents, your mom was rowdy, and probably certifiably insane. She never shut up and was always boisterous and loud. Your dad was a pretty quiet guy, and he loved your mom with all of his heart. They were both such strong shinobi, they were both seriously considered for the role of Yondaime Hokage, and it was their difference in personality that was the deciding factor.”**

**“I didn't actually have a motive for destroying Konoha. I was actually using my chakra to help Kushina through childbirth and to keep my seal closed. Then, I remember seeing red, and waking up to Kushina and Minato talking to you as they died, and I was already sealed inside of you. I cared about Kushina, and I didn't want her to die. She was so happy to hear that she was pregnant with you. I'm so sorry, kit."**

The boy looked up at the chakra beast, heart heavy with sadness and determination in his eyes. The tears had faded away for now, and all that was left was the answers he'd been thinking of. He wanted to be a shinobi like his parents. He wanted to help his village and prevent something like what happened to him from happening again in the future. He wanted to help everyone, and even if it was impossible, he still wanted to try. There was still something nagging at him though, something that didn’t quite feel right. A question still unanswered.

He wanted to end the fox's suffering and wipe away his guilt. It wasn't fair, the guilt shouldn't be his to bear. It hadn't been his fault that the boy lost his parents, and he wasn't the one to be blamed for the boy's suffering either. The boy desperately wanted to create a world of peace, peace that had suffering, because suffering is unavoidable. He wanted a type of peace where even though people are suffering, that they would still be kind. He wanted to make many friends because he needed the help. And to start, he wanted to know the fox's name.

**"Kurama. The name's Kurama, kit. I like your goals and I think I'll help you achieve them. Your goals show the makings of a fine shinobi already,"** Kurama tells the boy. **"For now, though, You need to wake up. You're partially healed and some ANBU forces from your village are moving towards you, likely trying to rescue you. I'll talk to you later, kit, just get my attention with your thoughts."**

The sewer-like area around the boy started to disappear. His surroundings were completely black, but he could hear something. Footsteps. Footsteps pounded through the building, getting nearer and nearer. He heard a door slam open as he realized that he was on the ground, obviously having torn through his crucifixion. He tried to open his eyes. Everything hurt. He was bloody and in pain. He wanted to cry, but he also wanted to be strong.

"Oh, god," he heard a male voice say, a medium tone, not high or low.

"Holy shit!" another exclaimed, this voice was a bit deeper and a tad monotone, despite the exclamation.

"That's human, right?" came another male's voice, this voice being a tiny bit deeper yet, his tone thick with disbelieving horror.

"'Course it's human, you damn dog!" a female voice exclaimed, a bit hoarse, as if trying not to cry.

"Sensei, I think we should just get him out of here," came the last voice the boy could count. The most monotone person in the group, his voice higher than the others', signifying youth.

"Yeah, Weasel," agreed the third voice, the one that was called a dog.

"Hi, kiddo," the female voice said. Her voice still sounded a bit hoarse, and the boy wondered just how badly he was injured. She was a bit closer than before, cautiously approaching him. The boy flinches. 

"Hey, there. Easy now. We aren't going to hurt you. We aren't like those civilians." The boy feels her kneel next to him, and he tries to scoot away. Fear and pain race through him. He doesn't want any of them near him. He wants the pain to go away. "We're here to rescue you. We're the Hokage's best ninja. You believe me, right?" The boy shakes his head no. He's frantic, trying to figure out a way to tell them not to come near him. He's just too scared. He can't take it.

"Hey, it's okay. Just look at our masks!" the second voice coos. "We're ANBU Black Ops, the Hokage's special forces. We've met in his office before, remember?" A second person kneels next to him. The boy now pushes himself up on broken wrists, scooting away in terror. His quickly forming scabs cracked and started bleeding again. His back pressed back up against the blood-stained wall. 

**"Kit, don't worry. I'll protect you if they try to hurt you, but I don't think they will. Do you remember the man with black hair and a lion mask? He's the one who asked if you remember him."** Kurama explained, trying to ease his host. 'I don't care! I'm scared! Prove to me that you'll protect me! Prove to me that it wasn't your betrayal that killed my parents!' the boy screamed in his thoughts. He regretted saying such mean things, but he was too scared to think too much about Kurama's feelings.

Suddenly, a red aura of chakra engulfed the boy. The chakra was hectic and swirling for a few seconds until it settled into the form of a fox. The warmth soothed the boy as his wounds began to heal a bit faster. There were five gasps in the room and a dark voice echoed through all of their heads. 

**"He's scared, don't touch him. He doesn't trust you, and he sure as hell doesn't trust me. I've already told him that he is my jinchuuriki. He can't see, so don't even bother trying to get him to recognize you. He's just too scared. The chakra surrounding him is mine, and it'll kill you if you touch it. As long as he doesn't want you near him, you won't be able to get close and keep you lives."** Kurama's voice echoed. The sound of the demon's voice and protectiveness soothed the boy and he apologized for his accusations. The chakra put him at ease, the fear retreating.

"The Nine-Tails," the first voice whispered hoarsely. There was a pause. "Hey, listen. I know that you're at ease with that chakra surrounding you, but I swear, none of us will hurt you." he takes a deep breath, as if preparing himself to say something difficult. 

"We know the difference between a chakra beast and its jinchuuriki. We know the difference between a demon and a little boy," he said, sounding sincere. "Please, let us take you to the village where you can get medical attention. Even with the Nine-Tails healing you, you may need it." his voice started to drop, becoming sad. "Let us feel a little useful, even though it took us this long to find you. We've been searching for you since you were kidnapped because we were worried. Please come out," he begged.

Tears pricked at the boy's eyes, and he couldn't hold it in anymore. He started sobbing violently. He'd been so scared, and here was someone who said they were worried and wanted to help. He felt a hand breach the chakra and suddenly got scared. Whoever did that is going to die. But, the hand reached his shoulder. Did he really want them near? 

A woman's hand gently rested on his shoulder, and the arm attached to the hand pulled him into a half hug as Kurama's chakra dissipated from his body. Another hand, distinctly male, rubbed circles on his back. Another hand on his head, each person comforting the sobbing, terrified child as best as they could given the circumstances.

The ANBU stood around him in a circle. As a team, they each knew who the others were and knew a great deal about their pasts. 

The one to reach out to him first had been Snake, Mitarashi Anko. Anko had been disgraced after her sensei, Orochimaru of the Sannin, had become a missing ninja, cast out of the village because of human experimentation. 

The one behind the boy, rubbing his back is Lion, Uchiha Shisui. As an Uchiha, he'd received a lot of grandeur attention, but only wanted to help ease the pain of the village. 

The one patting his head was Falcon, the one who had called out to the boy, Umino Iruka, whose parents had been killed by the Nine-Tails. 

Weasel, Uchiha Itachi, used the ruined fabric of the boy's pants and shirt to clean the blood carefully from his body. 

Dog, Hatake Kakashi, wrapped as many of the boy's injuries as he could, removing his cloak and wrapping it around the boy when he was finished. 

Each comforted the little jinchuuriki in the best way they knew how, simply being there. He was broken, couldn't see, terrified. No child should have to go through such an ordeal. No parents, no family, no friends. Everyone hated him, but they didn't realize that he's just a little boy who's growing up too fast.

After a few minutes, the kid cried himself to sleep. Even unconscious, tears still streamed down his cheeks. His eyes had begun to heal, one orb a lovely cerulean color and the other a gorgeous violet. Neither eye could see, and it brought pain to the ANBU. They hadn't been able to save him. They hadn't been able to help. 

Itachi picked him up and Iruka helped arrange the boy in Itachi's arms so that it wouldn't be too painful if he woke up. Vaguely, they all heard a soft voice echo through their minds, **"Thank you,"** no more than a fleeting whisper. The demon had thanked them, and for what? Did he truly care about his tiny, frail jinchuuriki? Why would he? After nearly destroying the village, taking the boy's parents, and causing the boy this much pain, is it possible that he felt guilty?

"Move out, and get Uzumaki Naruto to the village alive. Stay together and with the jinchuuriki at all times. We don't know if the nursing staff will try to kill him or not," Kakashi ordered. The team knew very well that nearly the entire village hated the fragile boy, and all because they couldn't tell the difference between a little boy and a demon. 

Everyone moved out, getting back to Konoha as quickly as they could, Kakashi separating from the group to tell the Hokage that Uzumaki-kun had been found, albeit half-dead. The other four continued on to the hospital, checking Naruto into a room and glaring daggers through their masks at anyone who did anything remotely suspicious. For some reason, the ANBU had gotten quite attached to the jinchuuriki after seeing his suffering and pain. 

The nursing staff floated around him, checking his vitals and cleaning his injuries. The nurses all grimaced at the extent of his injuries. A few of the nurses started crying as they tended to him as gently as possible while still being productive. 

A male doctor arrived in the room and ordered the nurses about. He winced when he saw the injuries for himself. It was odd, they knew who the boy was, and they felt pity and empathy for him. Most couldn't even bring themselves to do that much.

As Kakashi rushed into the Hokage's office to tell him the news, Kakashi swore that he never saw the Hokage that angry. The Hokage was absolutely furious that Naruto-kun had been hurt so badly and commanded that Kakashi come with him to Naruto's side at once. Kakashi didn’t question the bone-deep fear in the Hokage’s eyes, as if the old man was afraid of something more grievous than a little boy’s injuries.

The Hokage rushed into the room with Kakashi hot on his heels, wanting to see how Naruto was doing. The nursing staff surrounded him, but the new arrivals peered over their shoulders, watching as Naruto's injuries were cleaned. The rest of the team had seemingly relaxed. 

Kakashi was actually relieved to see some of the nurses crying and the others looking at the boy with gazes full of pity. That meant that they saw him as more than a demon and likely wouldn't try to kill the young jinchuuriki. The injuries themselves were quickly healing. Most had scabbed over, and those that hadn't were no longer bleeding. Uzumaki-kun was still a mess, but he was much better than he had been before. Kakashi no longer wondered if Naruto was human.

"He should be fine, Hokage-sama and unusually protective ANBU. His wounds are already healing and it doesn't seem like any are infected," the head doctor informed them. He still had a look of disgust on his face, reserved specially for whoever had done this to the tiny boy. "It's pretty obvious, though, by the scar tissue on his tongue, that his tongue was likely cut out by whoever did this to him. It's likely that the Nine-Tails healed the worst of the injuries first, and healed them completely. I'm most worried about his eyes, though. The eyes themselves are fine thanks to the Nine-Tails, but his optical nerves are severely damaged. He may be permanently blind. Of course, there will be some mental trauma, so you all probably won't be hearing him speak or see him smile for a while. Mental trauma takes time to get over, so just bear with him. I'm sorry, but I need to be off now. Inform the nurses if you need anything and when he wakes up," the doctor says while exiting. He gently shut the door behind him, the soft click being the only sound heard in the room for several minutes. 

Then, the Hokage spoke. "Call in Jiraiya and Tsunade immediately. Tell them what happened." A chorus of, "Hai, Hokage-sama!" was heard just after as all of the ANBU disappeared.

Each of the ANBU were lost in their own thoughts as they ran, trying to find the two Sannin that the Hokage had asked for. These two, Jiraiya and Tsunade, were the boy's godparents, but due to them being outside the village spying and gathering information, they'd never met they're godson before.

In Naruto Uzumaki’s hospital room, Sarutobi Hiruzen contemplated the little boy in the too-big bed, wondering why the chakra in him practically danced.

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	3. Family

**Chapter 3 - Family**

**A/N: Not a ridiculously long update, sorry, but it's important background information. Plus, there's some cute Naruto interacting with Jiraiya and Tsunade stuff. And yes, there are a lot of chapters relating to Naruto's past. Bear with me, I promise that it's entertaining. Things will really start going in chapter 9, for now it's just background and information about Naruto's personality.**

**Editor’s Note: I’m not going to lie, I did a lot of set-up and I felt that I didn’t follow through very well with the execution of the rest of the story. That writing advice about planning your end before you start writing? It’s legit. I had no idea what to write. Check out my bio for links to harass me (my Redbubble anyone?)!**

**Chapter 3**

**A Few Hours Later - Jiraiya's P.O.V.**

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY???!!!!!!!" I scream at the three ANBU members standing in front of me. They just pop up out of nowhere, tell me that my godson was kidnapped, rescued, and is currently in the hospital. And that Sarutobi-sensei is sending for me, but that's not important.

"Look," the one in the falcon mask began. "we recovered him as quickly as we could, so please don't be angry at us. We're just the messengers. Hokage-sama also sent for Lady Tsunade. He's relatively okay, that's all that matters, right?"

"Relatively?" I hiss dangerously.

"Hey, we feel bad enough, okay?" the one in the snake mask remarked. "The doctor is mostly worried about his sight. The rest of him is healing nicely. Then there's the mental trauma, but that's a whole other ball park," I recognize this one, she was Orochimaru's student before he became a missing-nin.

"Okay, okay. I get it, you feel bad. What will you feeling bad do for him?" I ask angrily.

"Look, Lord Jiraiya, he was so scared of us when we first walked in that he used the Kyuubi's chakra to protect himself. But, by the end of it, we were comforting a scared and sobbing kid. We did our best. Right now, he needs his godfather. So what the hell are you doing still standing here?" the one with the dog mask asks. 'Minato's student.'

"Alright, fine. You're smart. I'll be seeing you slow-pokes in the village, kissing Naru-chan's feet and begging for his forgiveness, even though you don't deserve it." I say saucily. I race off at top speeds for Konoha and pray for my godson's health and well-being.

**Roughly The Same Time In Another Part Of The Elemental Nations - Tsunade's P.O.V.**

I take a deep breath, trying desperately to calm myself down. Shizune, my apprentice, watches my reaction warily. Two ANBU randomly pop up and tell me that the Yondaime's son is in the hospital and that my sensei is calling for Jiraiya and I. Knowing Jiraiya, he'll be pissed that his godson got kidnapped and injured.

"His optical nerves are badly injured. He may not see again," the weasel-masked one repeats.

"Yeah, I got that, gaki!" I yell angrily. I start pacing. 'I hate that village, but I can't just sit by and do nothing while Kushina's son needs my help. Ugh, what do I do? I mean, technically he's my godson too, but I never took any of that too seriously.'

"Lady Tsunade, I think you should go," Shizune says stubbornly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll see you stupid ANBU-gakis back in the village kissing my godson's ass to make up for your shortcomings that got him hurt. Come on, Shizune," I say angrily. I take off at top speeds for the village, hoping that he's alright.

**Roughly That Same Time, In Konoha - Naruto's P.O.V.**

I cautiously blink my eyes open, just to discover that Kurama's suspicions had been correct. My optical nerves took a lot of damage, and now I'm blind. All I see is darkness.

"Naruto?" an old voice croaks. I recognize it instantly, Jii-san. The Hokage is sitting at my bedside. I vaguely turn my head that direction. "You're awake." he points out. I nod. "Are you in any pain?" I shake my head. "Do you want me to tell the nurses that you're awake?" I shake my head no again. 

"Alright. I've sent for your godparents. You don't know them yet, but their names are Jiraiya and Tsunade. Jiraiya was your father's sensei and Tsunade was your mother's. The two of them were also my students. You've never met, but I'm sure that they must be very worried about you." Jii-san explains gently.

I nod again, becoming tired quickly. 'I want to see my godparents' faces. If I could see just that, I'd be satisfied. I mean, they must have cared about my parents a lot, and now, they're all I have left.' I think, turning my face towards the ceiling again. 

**"Kit, I know it's not exactly what you want, but you have an ability called Sensory. I can teach you how to use your chakra to construct images for yourself. It may not do exactly what you want, but it'd be an improvement,"** 'Really?' I instantaneously perked up a bit. **"Yeah, but first, come into your mindscape,"** I mentally nod. I look at Jii-san, dorning a tired expression.

"Oh, are you still tired, Naruto-kun?" he asks. I nod tiredly. "Get some rest, then. I'll be here when you wake up." I nod again before letting my eyes drift shut. Instantly, I'm in my mindscape, staring up at Kurama.

**"Alright, first thing on our to-do list: change the scenery. I've been stuck in a sewer for four years. I'd like a grassy field if you can,"** I look up at him, confused. **"Just imagine what you want the scenery to be. It's your mind, after all,"** Hearing this, I close my eyes and try to imagine a green field with a pond off in one direction and is surrounded by lush forest on all sides. 

I hear clapping and open my eyes to see Kurama perched on his hind legs, clapping his front paws together loudly, a foxy grin on his face. **"Good job, kit. You catch on fast, faster than Kushina anyway. Okay, next: we need to teach you a bit about chakra. Like I said before, chakra is made up of your physical and mental energy. Do you understand that?"** I cock my head unsurely at him. 

**"Okay, I'll take that as a no. Physical energy relates to your physical state, your strength and health. At the moment, you're down on both counts, but that doesn't mean that you don't have physical energy. Actually, your physical energy is at an unusual peak because of the damage your body successfully sustained.”**

**“Mental energy is relating to experiences and intelligence. You're only four years old, but you're decently smart already, so that's a plus. And, you've had some interesting experiences recently, so that's also a bonus. Basically, your body has the potential to create a lot of chakra right now. That's good for you because you're going to be almost constantly expelling your chakra.”**

**“Your chakra reserves are pretty big, especially for a kid, but let me teach you the technique. First, you need to be able to tap into your chakra reserves. Sit down, close your eyes, and focus on the energy in your body,"** I tried to do as Kurama said. I sat and closed my eyes. 

I could feel this buzzing feeling in my fingers and I followed it up my arms and through my torso, into my stomach. My stomach was where my chakra was the strongest. 

**"Okay, good. Stay focused on that. Now I want you to picture a basin of some sort. Imagine the basin filled with water. That's your chakra. Now, imagine scooping up some of that water with your hands, but it doesn't slip out. Good. Now, imagine spreading that water out in waves around you,"** Kurama instructed. 

I did as instructed, forming shaky waves with my chakra. Even though my eyes were still closed, I could make out the start of the forest and where Kurama was.

**"Hey, that's pretty good for a first try, kit!"** Kurama exclaimed. 

'Are you kidding? How am I supposed to do this all the time? I have to focus so hard, it's ridiculous!' 

**"It'll just take practice, Naru-chan. That's what I want you to do now, until your godparents show up, is practice. I'll wake up your consciousness when they show up,"**

I nodded in his general direction and got back to it.

I imagined the waves spreading out around me like ripples on a lake. It was taking time, but the ripples gradually got steadier and less shaky. I began making out individual trees, then the slope of the ground. I saw Kurama's legs and body instead of just a giant blob. It still took a lot of focus, but it wasn't hard. Actually, it was pretty easy. I caught onto my new ability faster and faster. 

Soon, I could do it without closing my eyes. I was making a lot of progress until Kurama interrupted. 

**"Kit, they're here. Your godparents. It's time for you to wake up. Hey, don't give me that face, you can still practice outside your mindscape,"** I still pouted, but I let myself wake up anyway.

"WHERE IS HE??!!!" I heard two voices shout simultaneously. I immediately activate my Sensory before opening my eyes. I heard a few rushed, "Thank you's" and the Hokage sighed.

"I see that you've woken up again, Naruto. I'm sorry, but your godparents are very loud people. Orochimaru was always the quiet one." he said, sounding a bit melancholy. I give him a shy smile.

"Old man, how is he?" a male voice cried from the doorway.

"Ask him yourself, Jiraiya," Jii-san answered sarcastically.

"He's awake, sensei?" comes a female voice. The Hokage sighs. "I'll take that, and his open eyes, as a yes. Hi, Naruto. I'm Tsunade, your godmother. How are you feeling?"

"Hey, don't just ask him that right off the bat, hime! Let me introduce myself, too!" the male voice cried out. "I'm the great and powerful Jiraiya, your amazingly awesome godfather!"

"Don't startle him, you idiot!" Tsunade screams as she hits him over the head with a fist. I tilt my head to the side, a smile on my lips. I clap to get their attention. I sense them both turn to look at me. "Oh my kami, you're adorable, aren't you?" she squealed.

"He is. There's no doubt that he's Minato and Kushina's kid," Jiraiya concluded.

"Well, Naruto, since introductions are out of the way, can I take a look at your injuries? Don't worry, I'm a medical-nin," she assures. I give her a hesitant nod. 

I feel the bed dip as she sits down on the edge and she begins to unwrap my bandages. I hear both of my godparents gasp a bit and the Hokage sighs. 

"I don't mean to startle you, but that doesn't look good," Jiraiya murmurs.

"Of course he doesn't look good. Naruto, look away. I'm going to heal you now," Tsunade chimes in. 

'I don't need to, but whatever.' I felt as the scabbed-over wounds began to heal even further, scar tissue forming over most of the injuries. Tsunade paused to wipe a bit of sweat off her brow and glances up at my face. 

"Naruto! I told you to look away. You shouldn't have to see this." she complained. I tilt my head to the side, giving her a questioning look. "Wait a minute. Naruto, can you see?" I simply shake my head no. Three gasps are heard in the room. 

A knock sounds at the doorway. "Hokage-sama, may we enter?" I recognize the third voice from my rescue say. The old man must have nodded, because I count five, "thank you's" being said.

"You're blind?" Jiraiya questions. I nod. "Since when?"

"Master Jiraiya, it happened during the incident." the female ANBU from before responds. I nod again.

"Wait, kid, how have you been looking us in the eye?" Tsunade asks. I give her a look that clearly questions her intelligence level. I don't speak, and she decides that it's a good idea to ask me something that requires more than a shake of my head. 

'Bloody brilliant, hime.' 

"Wait, you aren't talking yet. You probably think that I'm stupid. Yeah, I see that look," she mutters.

"Can you tell where we are?" Jiraiya asks. I nod yes. "Um, okay. But you can't see. How can you tell where we are? But you can't answer that, damn. Huh, I'm stumped. Got any ideas to figure this one out, hime?"

"Oh, you're so stupid sometimes!" Tsunade replies. "Okay, hmm. Can you tell where are faces are?" I tilt my head to the side, thinking. 

'I can tell where their heads are because of the shape of the chakra, but I don't know if that counts or not.' I nod and tilt my hand to the side in a so-so manner. 

**"Kit, do you want me to talk to them for you? I'll have to envelop you in my chakra like last time,"**

'Yeah, okay. Just let me wave Tsunade away.' I quickly brushed Tsunade's hands off of me and scoot away from her. Then, Kurama's chakra enveloped me. I felt that familiar sense of comfort and ease as I did before.

**"Alright, let's get a few things straightened out, shall we?"** Kurama asks. The five ANBU who saved me don't seem surprised, but my godparents and the Hokage definitely are. **"Naruto is blind. He can't see a thing, just darkness. But you have to remember that he's an Uzumaki. Uzumaki's have a strong probability of being sensor type ninja, which the kit is.”**

Jiraiya moves to interject, but Kurama ignores him. **“I taught him how to use his Sensory, that's how he can see you. And before you ask, yes, I have the kit's permission to talk to you like this. And, no, my chakra isn't hurting him. No, my seal isn't breaking. Yes, I'm the one healing him. And, yes, he knows about me, his parents, and he wants to be trained to become a ninja as soon as possible, preferably by one of the ANBU who saved him. He likes you guys. And Tsunade, Jiraiya, he likes you guys too, and wishes that he can see you. He also would like you to know that he doesn't blame anyone for what happened to him, and no, he's not going to tell you who did it,"** he finished as the chakra fades away.

"Um, woah. That's a lot of information to take in all at once," Jiraiya mutters.

"So, you know that you're the Nine-Tails's jinchuuriki?" Tsunade asks. I nod.

"Do you know who your parents are?" Jii-san asks. I nod again. He sighs, exhausted. "So, who wants to train the kid?" I can’t help but think that he seems almost against the idea, cautious of something unnamed.

There's a pause and tension fills the air. I can sense Tsunade and Jiraiya giving the ANBU death glares. "I volunteer Weasel," says the Dog.

"Sensei," Weasel responds sharply. "Don't you think it would be better if many people trained him, to ensure that he's as well-rounded as possible?" he continues.

"I think that's a lovely idea!" Hokage-sama chirps, trying to lighten the mood a bit, albeit unsuccessfully. The hesitance in his voice is unpleasant. I nod in agreement. 

"Okay, I see your point, but maybe he can start off his basic skills with you, Weasel?" Dog asks. 

'He obviously doesn't want to train me.' I think sarcastically. 

**"Yeah, too bad though. I figured everyone would jump at the chance to train a jinchuuriki,"** Kurama laughs.

"Sure, I don't mind," Weasel replies. "Do his godparents mind this arrangement?" 

"OF COURSE NOT! WHY WOULD WE?! YOU IDIOTS JUST NEARLY GOT HIM KILLED!!!! NO BIG DEAL!!!!" Jiraiya yelled.

"He makes a good point," the female ANBU says.

"Yes, Master Jiraiya made a valid point, but you heard the Kyuubi. The Kyuubi resides in his mind and probably knows him better than anyone. It said that Naruto likes us and wants us to train him. So, whether you two like it or not, we'll train him. My parents are his godparents too. I was only asking your opinion to be polite," Weasel replies. Jiraiya stands there, spluttering for a comeback.

"I appreciate your politeness, Weasel. I, personally, don't have a problem with you guys training Naruto." Tsunade says.

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	4. The First Wave

**Chapter 4 - The First Wave**

**A/N: Just realized that I haven't said this, I do NOT own Naruto in any shape or form. If I have an oc, I'll tell you with an A/N. Also, currently planned ships are: SasuNaru, KakaIru, KibaHina (minor), and NejiGaara (minor). If you don't like any of these ships, I'm sorry. Seeing as how I'm writing this ahead of time, I won't be taking suggestions. If I decide to, I'll let you know, thanks. Also, thanks for the views, votes, and comments, they're very encouraging. Read on.**

**Editor’s Note: Looking back, all of the ships are kind of minor. The SasuNaru is very slow burn. Whoopsie? Also, I still own nothing. And still forgot to specify earlier. Oh well. Come pester me on my social media or check out my Redbubble by checking out the links in my bio!**

**Chapter 4**

**Two Days Later - Third Person P.O.V.**

Jiraiya and Tsunade had left the day after they had arrived, saying that they had important business to attend to and that they would stay in touch. Naruto didn't mind though. They are ninja, fighting everyday to protect the village, and he wanted to do the same. So how could he judge them? 

Naruto also had the sneaking suspicion that Jiraiya and Tsunade felt a bit guilty for not coming to meet him sooner, which is understandable. From the pieces of conversation Naruto and Kurama had managed to overhear though, it seems that both of them are involved in some rather serious shinobi work, so Naruto was hard pressed to be angry at them.

Naruto was starting off his training with Weasel (who he'd lovingly nicknamed Weasel-chan) and when he had the basics mastered, he would begin training with the rest of Team Scarecrow, the ANBU team that rescued him. Naruto had just been checked out of the hospital this morning, and now he was following Weasel-chan into a building.

By the image of the building that his chakra had constructed, Naruto determined that they were in a library. The shelves went up past even Itachi's head and they were filled with leather bound books and scrolls. Naruto sighed loudly, as if to get the point that he's freaking blind through Weasel-chan's obviously thick skull.

"I know, I know, you're blind," Weasel-chan said in response to the dramatic sigh. "First things first, we're going to learn sign language and figure out how to improve your Sensory ability. That's first on our list. Ah, by the way," Weasel-chan looked back over his shoulder, black hair falling over his onyx eyes. "I'm Uchiha Itachi, and you can call me anything but my code-name." 

Naruto nodded in Itachi's general direction before following him deeper into the library. He supposed that what Itachi wanted to do here did make sense, but it hurt his childish pride to know that he would be of no assistance whatsoever. Naruto sensed a woman standing in the center of the isle they were about to walk down, blocking their path on purpose, no doubt. 

"I'm so very sorry to interrupt you, Uchiha-san, but it would appear that a piece of garbage must be taken out," an elderly female voice spoke intimidatingly. The old woman made a move to walk past Itachi and to Naruto, but Itachi stopped her.

"Excuse me," Itachi said venomously, leaking a bit of killing intent toward her. "I would recommend that you leave him alone, ma'am," he spat. Fear rolled off the woman in waves, but more than that, confusion. 

'Why would Uchiha-san protect that demon?' she thought.

"Y-Yes." the poor woman stammered before practically running away from Itachi. 

'He didn't have to do that.' Naruto thought sadly. 'Now, people will judge him for protecting me.' The thought saddened the boy.

"Come on, Naruto-kun," Itachi urged. Naruto followed him once more. They soon stumbled upon books relating to sign language in the civilian section of the library. 

'Kurama, is there a way that I can read and learn by myself so that Itachi can go find books about my Sensory?' Naruto thought. 

**"I can see through your eyes and read you what it says and help you figure out what to do,"** Kurama offered helpfully. 

'Okay.' Naruto replied.

Naruto then stopped and clapped to get Itachi's attention and told him what Kurama had come up with by tracing the letters on his hand. Kurama had taught him letters and the spellings of basic words, but Naruto still had to spell most things out. It was a long and tedious process, but then Itachi activated his Sharingan, making the whole ordeal go much faster.

"Okay, then. I'll leave you to learning sign language and I'll memorize the scrolls you've read when I find what we're looking for," with an affirmative nod from Naruto, Itachi turned to head off to the Shinobi section of the library. "Oh, and Naruto?" he called. "Don't let anyone bully you. Spike your chakra if you need help." and with that, he was off. 

Naruto didn't see why Itachi would want to help him. As far as everyone else was concerned, he was a demon. He didn't want Itachi to get a bad reputation for helping a demon. For now, Naruto shrugged it off.

Naruto set about reading up on sign language. Kurama read him every word and described the hand signs in great detail. He told Naruto how to adjust his hands to make the signs easier and said that he would help Naruto remember them. The fox was being uncharacteristically helpful. He had no idea how long he'd been sitting in the aisle, reading for hours and hours on end, but he guessed that it was afternoon, not morning when they'd arrived. He had learned a great deal by the time Itachi had returned. He sensed that Itachi had several scrolls in his arms. 

"Naruto?" Itachi asked. Naruto clapped to get his attention. Itachi burst out laughing when he saw the state Naruto was in. He had quite obviously been running his small hands through his spiky hair in some form of frustration, because it was sticking up every which way. There was no rhyme or reason to it, even less than usual.

His eyes positively glowed and the whisker marks on his cheeks were tainted with a slight childish blush. Naruto then proceeded to pout at Itachi for laughing at him, which made the four year old even more adorable. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Itachi cried to the young boy who was now hitting him playfully with the scrolls at his feet. 

After the quick punishment that Itachi had well earned, Naruto sat back down, opening the scroll he'd been reading previously and Kurama continued where he left off, with Naruto mimicking the hand signs that Kurama was describing. 

It slightly embarrassed Naruto to be practicing with Itachi watching him, but he did it anyway. Naruto felt as if Itachi wanted to get a read on his attitude, to determine the best way to deal with him.

"Which ones have you read?" Itachi asked. Naruto simply pointed to where over half of the scrolls relating to sign language were piled up neatly. Itachi whistled. "You're a fast reader, for a blind four year old."

'Most blind four year olds can't read this stuff at all, you dolt.' Naruto thought. 

**"And to think that they call this one a prodigy, kit,"** Kurama replied. Mentally, Naruto laughed. Outwardly, he remained stoic and calm as Kurama continued reading to him telepathically. 

'Jesus, he's reading faster than a typical adult. And he's calm. He seems completely serene sitting and reading for several hours. It's obvious that he has determination. He'd do anything to be a good shinobi, wouldn't he? He's definitely well-endowed. His chakra reserves are massive, but I don't doubt that he has absolutely no control.' Itachi thought while watching his new student.

Naruto soon finished the scrolls that the library kept about sign language, Itachi quickly following suit with his Sharingan.

"Alright, are we done with this, at least for now?" Itachi asked. Naruto nodded. "Okay, that means that it is well past time for lunch. Let's go find somewhere to eat and look over these scrolls that I found. I think you'll find them interesting." With an affirmative nod from Naruto, albeit a hesitant one, they were off. 

They exited the library and made their way to what seemed to be a ramen shop. That's what it smelled like anyway. Naruto was nervous, no restaurant had ever served him like another customer. He didn't want Itachi to get into another fight over him.

"Welcome." said a man's voice. "Ah, Itachi-san, it's good to see you. Who's your young friend?" he asked.

"Hello, Teuchi-san, Ayame-chan. This is Uzumaki Naruto. I'm sure that you've heard of him." Itachi said. 

"Yes, I have. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Naruto-kun. I promise that my daughter and I won't serve you bad food or overcharge you. We know of your treatment and we think it's wrong, so don't worry about it. I'm Teuchi and this is my daughter Ayame," Teuchi told Naruto. Naruto gave Teuchi a small smile and wave. 

'This guy seems nice, but he could be faking because Itachi's here.' Naruto thought.

"One other thing, Teuchi-san," Itachi intervened politely. "Naruto-kun is mute and blind," Naruto could practically feel Teuchi and Ayame's mutual shock and surprise. Kurama burst out laughing. Naruto himself had to admit that their reactions were priceless, but it would be better if he could see their faces too.

"Oh, I'm sorry that we didn't realize, Naruto-kun," Ayame apologized. 

Naruto waved his hands in a carefree manner, grinning widely. He wanted to communicate that it didn't matter, that it doesn't bother him, but it does. He would have to work a lot harder than anyone else just to do basic things like walking.

"Well, what would the two of you like?" Teuchi asked warmly. 

'Cutting right to the chase, I like this guy.' Naruto thinks happily.

"Two bowls of miso ramen, Teuchi-san," Itachi requested seriously, slamming money down on the counter. 

'Um, why's he so serious?' 

**"He's probably loco, kit,"** Kurama replied, making himself laugh.

"Always so serious, Itachi-san," Ayame laughed. Naruto shot Itachi a questioning look.

"It's the only type of ramen I've ever eaten, and it's delicious. I'm sure you'll like it too. These two keep trying to convince me to try different kinds of ramen, but I never do," Itachi answered. 

'How did I get a weird kid as my sensei?' Naruto thought, which had Kurama laughing. 

But seeing as Naruto had no experience with anything but instant make ramen, he let Itachi pick. Even if he did have the experience, it's not like he could communicate effectively.

A few minutes of small talk later, Teuchi delivered their ramen. Naruto took his first bite, and concluded that it was heaven. They ate quickly and Naruto signed that Itachi has good taste in ramen. Itachi laughed. 

"What's so funny, Itachi-san?" Teuchi asked. 

"Oh, Naruto's just telling me that I'm right and that miso ramen is delicious." Itachi replied haughtily. 

'That Uchiha pride is making my head hurt.' Naruto complained to Kurama, and the only response received was boisterous laughter. 

Naruto and Itachi thanked Teuchi for the meal and Itachi grabbed the scrolls he had checked out from the library. Teuchi looked at them as Itachi took out the scrolls and told them to take as long as they need.

"Okay, Naruto." Itachi sighed. "I did a bit of research on your last name. It turns out that you get your last name from your mother, Uzumaki Kushina. Your mother was originally the princess of the Uzumaki clan in Uzushiogakure no Sato located in the Land of Whirlpools. The Uzumaki have a special ability called Sealing Chains. Your clan also specialized in fuinjutsu, or the art of sealing. However, the important part of this is that the Uzumaki don't have one particular ability, the Sealing Chains are just the most identifiable. Another ability of the Uzumaki clan is Sensory. Sensory isn't confined only to your clan, though. Have you ever heard of a sensor-nin?" 

Naruto shook his head no.

"Okay, well, basically a sensor-nin is a ninja who sends their chakra out in pulse waves away from their body in order to sense other chakra signatures. This is extremely useful for tracking, depending on the ninja's range. This is what you do, only you do it in a much more focused manner, depending on your Sensory to give you a clear enough image of everything in order to get around. I'd like you to read over these scrolls tonight and try to recover your chakra." 

Itachi handed him the small bag of scrolls. 

"We'll meet at training ground 43 tomorrow at six a.m. Do you think you can manage that?" Itachi asks.

Naruto gave an affirmative nod before waving goodbye to Teuchi and Ayame and parting with Itachi. It took a while to get the Uchiha to agree to letting Naruto walk home alone, but Naruto managed to convince him.

Naruto made it back to his apartment without a problem, luckily. He sat down on his hard mattress and pulled out the first scroll and Kurama started reading to him. 

**"In order to use Sensory, dip into your chakra reserves and imagine a pulse spreading out from your body. Continue sending out pulse after pulse, like ripples on a lake, in order to get the most clear images. The user needs to have vast chakra reserves in order to make this technique worthwhile. The smoother and more focused the ripples of chakra, the clearer and more focused the image will become,"**

The scrolls went on and on, giving him even more tips on how to make the technique more efficient. One scroll mentioned using fuinjutsu seals to distribute chakra for you, but sadly Naruto didn't know how to do that yet. 

While reading, Naruto didn't use any chakra. Even after just a day using this technique, he was exhausted. He and Itachi would need to work on his chakra reserves, that's for sure. After reading through all of the scrolls, Naruto laid down in his bed to go to sleep, reminding Kurama once more to wake him up at 5:15 the next morning.

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	5. Might As Well Call it Torture (1)

**Chapter 5 - Might As Well Call it Torture (1)**

**Author's Note: Okay, so the next several chapters are simply going to be Naruto with his senseis, starting training. It'll give you insight to Naruto's true personality. Naruto actually enters the Academy in Chapter 9. Things will really start picking up from there.**

**Editor’s Note: Why are all of the chapter titles like this? I have no creativity whatsoever. It’s like this in my other stories too. Oh god. Not going to change it now though. Come harass me on social media or check out my Redbubble because I’m poor (links in my bio)!**

**Chapter 5**

**The Next Day - Naruto's P.O.V.**

Luckily, the lazy fox in my head managed to wake me up on time, I mean, I don't want to be late to my first training session with Itachi-san. 

'Or should it be sensei now?' 

**"Kit, you're over-thinking this,"** Kurama warned. 

Kurama learned quickly that when I over-think things, I stress myself out. And when I'm stressed out, I cry. It's too bad, though, seeing as how I over-think things more often than a Nara. That thought earned a chuckle from Kura-chan. 

'Or kun? Fuck.' 

**"Mind your language and call me whatever the hell you want, kit,"**

'Don't you think that you're a bit of a hypocrite?' I reply sassily. 

I pull myself out of my bed and jump in the shower, counting my steps and throwing a hand out to avoid running headlong into the wall. The water's cold, like usual seeing as how hot water doesn't come to my little apartment. People hate me, whatever. I shower quickly before getting out and drying off. I hurriedly try and rewrap my mostly-healed injuries with fresh bandages. 

**"Kit, you're hopeless,"**

'Um, hello? I'm a blind four year old with no medical experience. I think I'm doing fine, thanks.' I reply. 

It becomes rather obvious as I dress that I've got this sass thing down. I slip into a well-worn t-shirt that's dangerously short and a pair of slightly stained shorts that are a bit too loose. The only pair of sandals I have are about a size and a half too small, but I put them on anyway. 

I make some instant ramen (which takes three minutes to make, like what the fuck?), eat it, and head out the door. Using my chakra, I make my way over to where I assume training ground 43 is. 

**"Look's like this is the one. It's little sign says 43 and everything,"** Kurama says softly. 

We'd been chatting a bit as I walked and since Kurama could read my mind, he knew that I was easily startled due to the incident just over one week ago. He was a lot quieter than he was when we first met. It was all because of me. He changed himself to meet my needs. It was another few minutes before Itachi showed up, so I guess that I was a bit early.

I felt Itachi look me over curiously as I stood up to greet him. 

"Those aren't yours, are they?" He asks gently. The question is more of an observation. 

I sign back, _"No shit Sherlock. How'd you know?"_ with a ridiculous look on my face. 

"Naruto, four year olds shouldn't curse." Itachi chided. 

_"Well, fuck you too, butterfly princess,"_ I sign in reply. I hear him face-palm and sputter with laughter. 

"Okay, okay. I'll ignore both the cursing and the clothes, for now," Itachi conceded. "But, you need clothes that actually fit you. And my kami! You're four! Don't start cursing yet, brat. And now that that's out of the way, did you finish those scrolls last night?" 

I tugged at the bag on my shoulder that I had stored the scrolls in to signify that I had, in fact, finished the scrolls.

_"Oh, and by the way, I'm not a brat. I'm a demon fox that'll kick your sorry ass if you refer to me as such again, Itachi-sensei,"_ I sign, making it clearly known that I did not like this new pet name. I also gave Itachi a sneer as I signed "sensei" to make it absolutely clear just how much I love him. 

'#SassMaster' Kurama howls with laughter at my badass sass. Itachi face-palms again.

"Alright, what would you like me to call you?" He asks, completely exasperated already. I can tell that he's teasing, but I take the opportunity to get him not to call me by my full name with open arms.

_"Naru-chan or kit, thanks,"_ I sign haughtily in reply. My full first name kind of freaks me out from time to time. I'm constantly bombarded with "Naru-chan" and "Kit" in my head, so "Naruto" seemed a bit formal now. 

"Okay, Naru-chan, let's get on with your torture-I mean training," Itachi says. 

Somehow (maybe by that sadistic aura I sense coming from my new sensei) I assume that his little slip of the tongue wasn't exactly an accident. Terror pulsed through me. At least during the incident a few days ago, I assumed that my suffering would come to an end. But Itachi isn't allowed to kill me, even if he wanted to. Which he probably doesn't, but who knows?

Itachi takes the bag of scrolls from me before explaining what we'll be doing. "So, I assume that you've gathered that your chakra reserves need to be strengthened, at the very least?" I nod, no sarcasm this time due to me being utterly terrified. "Well, something else needs to be done as well. You need to improve your physical ability, and start training in chakra control," 

I give my sensei an excited nod, I mean come on! Let's start already! Suddenly, I heard a dull thump. I jumped and immediately released a ripple of chakra. 

'A kunai? He threw a kunai at my feet! That bastard!'

_"Excuse me, you moronic excuse for a dumbass butterfly fucking princess, did you happen to drop this, or are you trying to maim your adorable, pouting, blind, mute pupil, you retarded fucking jackass,"_ I sign angrily. The fear from just a few seconds ago is completely gone. Back is the sass master.

Itachi sighs loudly. "Well, since I happened to think that you weren't using your Sensory ability, I thought that you might appreciate me throwing the kunai near you instead of tossing it to you so you could catch it. You know, because you weren't paying attention. By the way, you should be using Sensory all the time! It's your only means for seeing and you never know when someone will try and sneak up on you." he scolds.

_"Itachi-sensei, do they really call you the prodigy of the Uchiha clan?"_ I sign.

"Um, well, yes. Why?" He responds shyly.

_"I was just wondering, seeing as how you're dense enough to assume a blind boy can read, luckily for you I can, and that you think I have enough chakra to use Sensory all the time! I'm four, you fucking dolt,"_ I sign, exasperated with the supposed prodigy.

"You should use it constantly while you still have chakra." Itachi counters. 

I look in his general direction blankly.

_"And what? Not have enough chakra to see when I really need to?"_ I sign sassily, planting a hand on my hip as soon as I'm done signing.

"Okay, point taken," Itachi submits begrudgingly. "Now onto what you'll be doing today, Naru-chan. I want you to take that kunai, and walk up the trunk of the tree behind you. When you fall, use the kunai to mark your progress. And no, you can't use your hands to climb,"

_"Bitch, say what,"_ is my immediate response. 

Itachi sighs at my cursing once more.

"Maa, maa. It isn't that hard. Simply channel chakra to your feet and walk up the tree. Too little chakra and you'll slip, too much chakra and you'll fly off. I would demonstrate, but as you have so lovingly pointed out, Naru-chan, you're blind. Have fun, my adorable student," Itachi said a bit too happily.

'Ita-sensei is such a selfish bastard!' Kurama chuckles lightly at my grumbling thoughts. I walk forward and yanked the kunai up from the ground. 

_"Ita-sensei, are you going to catch me if I fall?"_ I sign, after clapping to get the arrogant jerk's attention, of course.

"Nope!" Ita-sensei replies, popping his "p" like an indignant child.

'Well, then, Kura-chan, are you going to help me or what?' 

**"Kit, I'm trying to sleep. If you aren't going to entertain me with your hilarious sass master attitude, I'm going to sleep,"** he grumbles. 

'Kura-chan!' I complain telepathically. 

**"Now you're just being annoying, kit,"** Kurama snarks. 

'I could die! I could die, and you don't even care! Don't be a jackass and help me!' I protest. 

**"Mind your god damn language! Holy kami, kit. Alright, I'll give you some advice, but I'm not going to actually help you do it. You need to learn to do this for yourself, or you'll never be able to do anything alone. Plus, I'm not going to tolerate having a weak jinchuuriki. I've already suffered through your infant years,"** Kurama growls back. 

I sigh in defeat upon hearing Kurama's response. I know that I need to do it myself or else I'll never learn, but that doesn't mean that I didn't want a tutorial.

I readied myself in front of the tree. 

**"Alright, first off. Reach into your chakra reserves like I taught you. Funnel the chakra to the bottoms of your feet. Place one of your feet against the tree. Feel for resistance, as if you feel like you're going to launch yourself from the tree. If you feel resistance, lessen the chakra. Make sure to match the amount of chakra in both feet. If your foot begins to slip, put in a bit more chakra. Make sure to match your chakra levels in both feet,"** Kurama explains, impatience dripping from every word. 

It took a few minutes before I got it, but finally, my foot didn't slip or meet any resistance. 

**"Alright, kit, here comes the hard part,"**

'I think that was plenty hard already!' I whine. 

**"Shut up!”** Kurama barks. 

I shrink back, fearful. Kurama huffs in exasperation.

**“Now, you need to keep that precise amount of chakra in the soles of your feet at all times. Like Itachi said, too much and you'll fly off, too little and you'll slip. You need to remember this exact amount of chakra and keep the chakra in your feet steady. Luckily, you have some practice doing that like with Sensory. This should be easy for you, kit. Now, when you're ready, drain the chakra from your feet, back up, and run at the tree. When your foot hits the trunk, immediately funnel the right amount of chakra into your feet and run up the tree,"** Kurama explains, only marginally more patient than before.

I kept testing the waters for a few more minutes, getting used to the amount of chakra concentrated in my feet. I could feel Ita-sensei watching me. It kind of freaked me out. The emotional trauma from the incident was raging in my head. 

'I couldn't escape, what if I can't do this? What if I can't do anything or become a shinobi? What if Itachi gives up on me? What if he hurts me?' 

I push the negative thoughts aside, turning my moment of panic into determination. I drain the chakra from my feet and back up a ways. I get a running start, charging straight for the tree. When my left foot hits the surface, I funnel the amount of chakra into my feet that feels familiar and run up the tree. 

I'm over halfway up the tall tree, and without Kurama, an untrained fall might kill me. I keep going, not slowing down and trying to keep the proper amount of chakra in my feet. I notice that I have some wiggle room from that exact amount, but I don't want to push my own limits, at least not this far above the ground. 

**"Kit, watch for branches!"** Kurama shouts at me. 

The alarm in his voice makes me panic, and I immediately release a steady wave of chakra, seeing a branch a few feet above my current position. The sudden release of chakra messes up my concentration, however, and I immediately feel one of my feet slip. 

I know that I can't recover from that. I lean forward and carve my progress into the tree before attempting to find a branch to break my fall. Things are moving by too fast, and I'm not trained well enough to get an accurate read on anything. I know better than to just reach blindly, that could end up hurting me more than falling to the ground, and I immediately ask Kurama for help. 

**"Just grab a branch! Idiot!"** Kurama growls, worry seeping into his words. 

'Kurama, I can't. I don't know where they are. I can't see. Can you stop the fall? Or at least cushion the blow?' 

**"KIT, YOU'RE GOING TO-"** Fear overwhelms me and my whole body goes tense at once. Before Kurama finishes his sentence, I feel myself enveloped with warm chakra. It covers my body and forms a protective fox around me less than a second before I hit the ground. 

**¨Damn, kit. Don't do that again,¨** Kurama says sternly, sounding a bit out of breath.

"NARUTO, NARUTO, SHIT ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" Itachi-sensei calls me frantically. I look up to him and grin widely. 

'that. Was.' 

**"Kit, please,"** Kurama grumbles. 

'AWESOME!!!!!' In my head, I scream with glee and on the outside, I'm sure I look like a psychotic serial killer who just went on a rampage and enjoyed every second of it. 

The moment Kurama's chakra dissipates from me, Itachi is immediately checking me over for any injuries. I sit there, grinning like an idiot who just got told that he's "special" and has no idea about the negative connotation. 

"Are you in any pain?" Itachi asks, after making sure that I'm not injured. Well, more than I was when I showed up. 

_"It felt like landing on clouds or something else ridiculously soft, like unicorn farts or rainbows,"_ I sign back. _"That was awesome! I almost want to do it again!"_

Itachi sighed in relief. "Still, Naru, that wasn't awesome. That was dangerous. You really could've died. I was about to Shunshin and catch you, but I saw that red chakra. What happened up there, I thought you were doing fine?" Ita-sensei asked.

_"Well, it was hard to keep the chakra in my feet. I could slip or be propelled a bit without anything bad happening, but I didn't want to rely on that. Kura-chan reminded me to watch for branches, and when I released the chakra, my concentration wavered and I slipped. But I couldn't tell where the branches were, so Kurama caught me with his chakra,"_ I sign quickly.

"Alright, well, your problem with keeping your chakra at the desired levels is pretty common, but it seems like your biggest obstacle is going to be using your chakra for many things at the same time. Don't worry, I'm sure that you'll be able to do everything soon," Itachi replies warmly to my disgruntled signing. ¨Honestly, I don't think that I'd be able to do what you're doing.¨

_"I'm sorry, but is there any way that I can gain experience faster or something?"_ I ask. 

I can't wait for soon when people are almost constantly trying to kill me. I want to be strong. I want to protect my village, even though they won't protect me. And I want to do it as soon as possible.

"No, you'll just have to work hard." Itachi tells me. I have a feeling that he's lying a bit.

_"Look, Ita-sensei, I'm not looking for a cheat sheet or the easy way out. Not only would you and Kura-chan both kill me if I tried to cheat, but I know that if I don't do it on my own merits, then I won't have learned anything. If I don't learn anything, then what's the point in doing it? I just want a way to do it faster. I can't wait for soon, because whether you and Jii-san like it or not, I'm going to be targeted again, soon. And I want to protect my village."_ I reply swiftly.

"Well, I suppose. With your chakra reserves naturally so high, you might be able to make that function more useful," Itachi mutters to himself. "Alright, I'll teach you your first ninjutsu. This ninjutsu is an S-ranked kinjutsu skill that most ANBU and even the Hokage himself can't utilize fully," Itachi elaborates.

I quirk an eyebrow at Itachi in a confused expression. 

"Let me explain. There are three types of 'jutsu' or skills a ninja can use. The first is taijutsu, one's physical ability. The next is genjutsu, illusionary techniques. The last is ninjutsu, referring to abilities that would be classified as supernatural. Any type of jutsu that is classified as a kinjutsu is considered a forbidden jutsu, and few people know it. That also means that it's very dangerous. Jutsu and missions are ranked from easiest to hardest, starting with 'E' as the easiest, moving up to 'D', 'C', 'B', 'A', and the most difficult, 'S.'"

_"Ita-sensei, you think that I can learn an S-ranked kinjutsu? I'm only four."_ I reply.

"I know, I know," Itachi replies. "But with your chakra levels, and maybe a bit of help from Kurama, I'm sure you can get it," He says hopefully. "Now, let me explain the jutsu. It's called the Shadow Clone Jutsu. This version is actually just an A-rank ninjutsu. The advanced version is the one that you may want to utilize,” he cautions.

“It takes the chakra you put into it and divvies it up equally for however many clones you're trying to create. These clones are solid figures, which you can speak with telepathically. They can endure a few hits, unlike typical clones, and when they disappear, you get their memories. If you create about 50 or so shadow clones, utilizing the more advanced version, the technique might be worthwhile for your training, especially with jutsu and chakra control, but your physical body is your own responsibility." 

_"How many clones can you create?"_ I ask curiously.

"Eight." Ita-sensei answers. I'm honestly shocked. Even Kurama is deathly quiet. 

'And he wants me to create how many?!' 

**"Kit, listen, this jutsu isn't that hard. The variation called the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique, that's the one he wants you to do. It's the tiger seal,"** Kurama instructs. **“The lash back is usually just too much for normal people to handle. Luckily, you aren’t exactly normal,”**

_"So, you want me to do the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique with the tiger seal?"_ I sign.

"Exactly, Naru." Itachi replies. He seems a bit surprised at my question, but he dismissed it, probably assuming that Kurama told me.

'Multi-Shadow Clone Technique.' I think while making the tiger seal. Vaguely, I hear a "poof" sound and I immediately activate my Sensory ability. There are no less than one hundred identical clones of me with us in training ground 43. Itachi lets out a terrified little laugh. 

**"Kit, I think you went a bit overboard,"** Kurama mutters. 

'Welp, I've officially surpassed my sensei.' Kurama is practically rolling on the ground laughing with that one. 

_"Oops,"_ I sign. I can sense Itachi slowly getting to his feet.

"Oops, oops!? This is incredible, Naru-chan! Kami, this is really impressive! And because you were still holding the kunai, it multiplied with you. If you can maintain this many clones, I want you to start them on tree walking," Itachi says. "Now, you haven't truly mastered it until you can fight on a vertical surface for an hour. My record is about fourteen and a half, so don't think you have to stop at an hour or anything."

_"Um, Ita-sensei?"_ I sign. _"Do you want me to do more tree walking too or do you have something else in mind?"_

"I'm thinking that we should start working on your physical ability, since that's something that your clones can't help you with. Don't worry, just the basics: speed, muscle, agility, flexibility. Don't worry, it'll be torture," Ita-sensei assured me. Itachi took something out of his pockets. ¨These are training weights, eventually they'll help improve your speed.¨

Itachi secured the training weights around my ankles and wrists, ten pounds on each wrist and twenty pounds on each ankle. He then told me to run laps around the training ground. Not ten or twenty or something manageable, oh no. 

'Manageable would be silly!' He told me to run 300 laps. 'How does he expect something like this? I'm a blind, mute, four year old, god damn it! This is fucking stupid!' All Kurama did was laugh at my complaining tangent. 'And he tells me that if I walk, he'll give me more, damn! He's fucking evil! That jackass!' 

It was nearly lunch by the time I finished those god forsaken laps. 

'And to think, I started before seven o'clock!' 

**"That just means that you need to get faster, kit,”**

'Shut the fuck up, you lazy ass fox!' I walk straight up to Itachi and flip him off.

"Maa, maa, calm down." He replied. "You finished faster than I expected. Now, would you like to know my morning routine, that I do every day when I'm not on missions?" I nod hesitantly. "200 laps, 100 sit ups, and 100 one-armed pushups with each arm."

_"What the fuck is wrong with you, man? And why did you make me run 300 laps if even you don't?"_ I sign.

"Now, now. I honestly think that you can do more. You're young and your metabolism is faster than an average adult's. That doesn't mean that you can't afford to not train your body, however. You need to improve your speed, agility, flexibility. Now let's work on stretching."

For about half an hour, Itachi directed me on stretching. After we were done with the stretching, I started to really feel the drain from having a bunch of shadow clones training along with all of the work I'd been doing. And I was getting hungry. But Itachi didn't seem to care at all. 

Instead of feeding me, he directed me on sit ups, push ups, squats, and lunges. I was completely drained by the time we were done, and it was only three o'clock in the afternoon. The shadow clones and the work out were really taking a toll on me. My chakra was almost completely drained, so I complained to Itachi that I wanted to be able to find my way home.

"So your chakra is almost completely drained, huh?" He asks. I nod. "Then you haven't trained hard enough," I shoot him a confused look. "You should train your body until you can't stand, train in jutsu and with your chakra until you completely run out, and train your mind until your brain can't function. And you'll need to trust me with getting you home. Doing this every day will get results faster than not. Because of Kurama, your chakra and body will recover a lot faster than normal,"

**"He's right, kit. A normal person wouldn't have eyes or a tongue, and you would've needed stitches and maybe even surgery. As it is, you're almost completely healed from the incident,"** Kurama told me. 

'Ugh, okay, what should I do? I want to impress him and do things for myself.' 

**"If you just get the answers from me, then you aren't doing it for yourself either. Like he told you, train until you break. I'll take care of as many of the after-effects as I can while you sleep tonight,"**

_"Can I get heavier weights, Itachi-sensei?"_

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	6. Might As Well Call it Torture (2)

**Chapter 6 - Might As Well Call it Torture (2)**

**Author's Note: Once again, I'm so sorry for the delayed chapter. Technical difficulties that I hope to never encounter again. Here's chapter five, though. It'll still be a couple chapters until Naruto enters the academy, but I feel like these chapters provide some nice backstory to Naruto and his ANBU buddies. I hope you all enjoy, thanks for reading!**

**Author's Note Number 2: Haha, funny story. I thought that this got published on Sunday. Evidently it didn't. It said published, I swear. I got suspicious and checked and apparently it decided to be a draft instead. I'M SO SORRY! >_< I guess I'm not as tech-y as I thought. I would double update for you guys on Wednesday but I'm too far behind for that. Sorry again. Enjoy the chapter that gave me so much trouble. **

**Edit: Kaito is an OC and just a stand in for TenTen’s father, who is unknown.**

**Editor’s Note: Apparently this chapter was problematic for me? We love that. Ummm, come pester me via the links in my bio or check out my Redbubble shop? (Can you tell that I’m writing all of these notes in the same sitting? Also, chapter titles, past Quinne? Really?)**

**Chapter 6**

**Several Hours Later - Third Person P.O.V.**

The sun was just beginning to set, and there were a few genin and chuunin at several of the training grounds. In training ground 43, however, sat Uchiha Itachi, the prodigy of the Uchiha clan and already a member of the ANBU, carefully watching a four year old boy, Uzumaki Naruto, train. Yes, train, although most other people would call it torture or maybe death-by-exercise.

Naruto was doing one-handed push ups in the center of the training field, but just barely. Due to starvation and malnutrition, he could hardly support his weight on one arm, but he kept trying. His entire body is drenched in sweat, and he's shaking. His eyes are closed in concentration. 

There are a few of his shadow clones left, most had disappeared due to using all of their chakra already. One might ask just how hard the boy has been training today, and they would definitely be surprised. He'd torn muscles and strained tendons and Kurama had immediately healed him.

Itachi's words to the boy echoed in his head as he watched his pupil train. Training his jutsu and chakra until he ran out, training his body until he can't stand due to exhaustion, and Itachi knew that Kurama was giving Naruto history lessons telepathically. Naruto was silently mouthing the words as Kurama spoke them, pushing himself psychologically because of his new fear of speaking, to help himself remember them. 

Itachi knew that Naruto hadn't eaten since breakfast, and he was doing all of his training barefoot because his shoes were worse than useless. Naruto had easily kicked off his sandals as he asked Itachi to make his weights heavier. It was his first day of training and he had already improved dramatically. It seemed as though Naruto were a once-in-a-millennia prodigy that even Itachi wouldn't stack up to. Finally, Naruto collapsed. 

Itachi stood and rushed over to the boy. He was worried about his pupil. He'd never seen anyone work themselves this hard. It was honestly impressive. As Itachi helped Naruto roll over, he saw that Naruto was grinning. 

_"Did I do good today, sensei?"_ Naruto shakily signed. 

"Yes, but we need to run some errands. Dispel your clones," Itachi answers. He felt a bit guilty, though. Naruto gave him an exasperated look, obviously thinking about how he didn't think he could stand, and would probably fall asleep on his feet, if he managed to stand at all.

Naruto gave the last of his clones the telepathic order to dispel, one by one so that it wouldn't overload him. Naruto felt a little bit of chakra come back into his system, and he could feel his body already beginning to repair itself. Kurama sure was great. After another minute, Naruto feels as though he might be able to stand. He clambers to his feet, swaying dangerously. Itachi reaches out to steady him.

"Alright, do you think that you'll be okay to run these errands with me today?" Itachi asks Naruto. Naruto nods tiredly. "Okay then. Let's go get something to eat. Ichiraku's?" Naruto nods again. Naruto didn't honestly care where they went. The errands were probably relating to him, anyway.

Itachi offers to help Naruto walk, but Naruto refuses. He wants to do things for himself and prove that he can be useful to the village. The two walk in silence to Ichiraku's and Itachi orders for them.

"So, Naruto-kun, did Itachi work you a bit too hard today?" Ayame asks. Itachi scoffs.

"Of course not, he can still stand!" He replied indignantly.

_"Shut the fuck up, ass clown."_ Naruto signs to him. 'If there's a word that means 'way more than utterly exhausted', that's what I am.' Naruto thinks. 'It's unreal. I'm completely drained and ridiculously sore. Not to mention starving.'

They quickly finish their meal and head off again. Naruto doesn't know where they're going, but he sincerely hopes that it's the last stop.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

We walk quietly, and even though I'm blind now, I can feel the villagers' hateful glares. I can hear their whispers, full of spite and malice. I ignore them. I will protect them, and this village, whether they like it or not. 

Kurama taught me things about history today, and the biggest thing that I learned was that a jinchuuriki protects the village, no matter what. I want to help these people, even if they don't deserve it. I want to care about people more than myself, because maybe being selfless will make me happier. Then again, maybe that's hypocritical.

**"Kit, you're overthinking things again,"** Kurama chides. 

'Yeah, yeah. I just hope that Ita-sensei can't hear them. I wouldn't want that idiot to start a fight.' 

Kurama had mostly given me accounts about the ninja world wars and the other jinchuuriki, but I actually found it pretty interesting.

Itachi stops in front of a store, and holds the door open for someone to walk through. This must be where we're heading.

"Itachi, what are you doing here?" a man's voice asks. "I asked you if you needed anything and you said no, right?"

"Ah, tou-san," Itachi replies. "Yes, I'm not here for myself. Naru, he knows sign language, so introduce yourself."

_"Hello, sir. My name is Uzumaki Naruto."_ I sign to the man.

"Uzumaki Naruto?" The man asks. "My kami, you look so much like your father!" I feel him kneel in front of me. "My name is Uchiha Fugaku. Can I ask why you are with my eldest son, Naruto-kun?"

_"I'm with Itachi-san because Hokage-sama asked him to look after me and train me to become a ninja and protect this village,"_ I sign concisely in reply.

"I see. I knew your parents pretty well, and I've kept tabs on your growth over the years. My wife, Mikoto, was telling me just this morning that I should try and approach you. I'm sorry that I haven't done so before. I thought it would be a bit awkward if some guy you didn't know walked up to you and called himself your godfather," Fugaku explained apologetically. 

'He knew my parents, both of them. Maybe he can tell me about them.'

_"It's okay, don't worry about it."_ I sign. I give him a small smile. 

'Kurama! How do I call him? San? Sama? Would tou-san be presumptuous of me?' 

**"Kit, calm down. Stop overthinking things. It's going to be okay. Just ask him how he wants you to call him. I'm sure that he won't mind,"** Kurama suggests. 

_"Um, I'm sorry, but how do you want me to call you?"_ I sign hesitantly.

"Hmm? You can call me however you want, Naruto-kun," He answers nonchalantly.

_"I don't think you understand. I overthink things a lot, and when I overthink things, I get stressed out. When I'm stressed, I cry. I'm four, so that's pretty natural for a four year old with a ridiculously high IQ, even for adults. Now answer the goddamn question, or would you rather I start crying? My tears happen to piss off a certain demon, and he'll break his fucking seal just to kick your ass for making me cry."_ I sign frantically. 

I can already feel my breathing become faster, my heart rate speeds up. 'I'm either on the verge of a panic attack or emotional breakdown. Great. Why am I so screwed up right now?' After everything that happened, I've noticed that I'm very sensitive. 

**"Kit, I'll fucking slice this bitch if he makes you cry. He'll look worse than you did before I started healing you a few days ago,"** Kurama growled angrily. I had learned rather quickly how protective the fox was.

Fugaku gave me an amused look before turning a chiding one towards Itachi. "I didn't expect him to curse, Itachi. Haven't you done anything to correct that behavior? He's only four,"

"Father, I've tried, believe me. He's too stubborn. I've only cursed once near him, and that was earlier today when he nearly died," Itachi replies whiningly.

"Wait, you're his sensei, and you nearly got him killed today?"

"He was working on tree climbing. It was his first time trying it and he was about seventy percent of the way up. It was a really tall tree and he slipped. What was I supposed to do? I assumed that he would catch himself. It's not that I wasn't there or not paying attention. I was about to Shunshin and catch him, but it's chakra protected him,"

I clap loudly, drawing their attention. They take one look at me and immediately start fussing over me. Tears streaming down my face with an agonised expression dorned, I look absolutely crestfallen. 

'Didn't they realize that I was serious? Gosh, they're both such mother hens.'

"Naru-chan, what's wrong?" Ita-sensei asks worriedly.

_"That fucktard didn't answer my goddamn question!"_ I sign steadily, despite my tears.

"Wait, you were serious?" Fugaku exclaims. "Just call me by tou-san, I'm one of your godfathers anyway. Naru-chan, I'm sorry," he said, taking note of Itachi's pet name for me, and figuring that I would rather be called that. Meanwhile, a certain fox raged in my head.

'Tou-san, huh? Okay.' I think. I almost immediately calm down, satisfied with the answer. 

**"Kit, I'll kill him! I'll rip him to pieces! Let me! Let me!"** Kurama rages. 

'It's okay, Kura-chan. I'm okay, and he's obviously sorry. No killing or torturing, okay?' I think, trying to calm the very pissed tailed beast, whose nine tails lash angrily in my mindscape. He's almost as pissed as he was when that nurse tried to poison me yesterday.

Both of the Uchihas in front of me sigh as they see me wipe my face. 

'Gosh, my crying makes more than women weak in the knees.' Kurama is now howling with laughter, rolling around in my mindscape. Who knew that tears could make two emotionless Uchiha men start fussing worriedly?

"So, what are you two doing here?" Fugaku asks. 

"Do you not see his clothes? He needs things that fit him," Itachi replies.

"I agree, and I'll pay for it," Fugaku-tou-san agrees.

"Are you just going to block my entrance all night, or are you boys going to come in?" A distinctly male voice asks from inside. I've never heard the voice before, and that's extremely odd, seeing as how people are always whispering about me. I'm immediately interested in who this could be.

"We're coming, Kaito," Fugaku says. 

The Uchihas lead me into the store, which I immediately sense is a weapon's shop. I sigh dramatically towards Itachi, my official sign language for, "Why the fuck are we here?" Itachi has his own weapons that I can use, and I'm nowhere close to being a ninja yet. Besides, did he have to drag me here when I'm so exhausted? Couldn't weapons have waited until tomorrow?

"Oh, shush. This place sells ninja gear of all kinds, including clothes," Itachi replies to my sigh. Tou-san and this mystery "Kaito" chuckle. 

'Fuck, what do I call this one?' 

**"Kit, just go with san,"** Kurama suggests grumpily. 

'I can't believe he drug me here for a new wardrobe, I don't have the money for that! I'm too busy trying to keep myself fucking alive, thanks.' 

**"Did you forget that your new Tou-san is paying?"**

'Oh, yeah. But still!'

"Hello there, little one. My name is Kaito Higurashi. What's your name?" Kaito-san says. Itachi nudges me, prompting me to sign. 

'Little one? Well fuck you too, sir.' I think saucily.

_"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, it's nice to meet you."_ I sign instead, because the other thing would probably be too rude.

"Well, Naru-kun, it's nice to meet you, too," Kaito says kindly. 

He takes note of the clothes that I'm wearing and scowls in disgust. Not disgust for me, but the shop owners that refused me service. 

"I take it that we're shopping for you?" he asks. I nod. "Alright, I'm sure that I can find something nice for you, what's your favorite color?"

_"Red,"_ is my automatic answer. 

Kurama says that my mom's hair was the most beautiful scarlet color. I would never get to see what that looks like, but I know that if I could still see, red would definitely be my favorite color. Kura-chan told me of a time when my mom was kidnapped when she was younger, and how my father found her by following the strands of scarlet hair that she had purposely left behind. And until my father rescued her and said that he thought her hair was beautiful, she had hated the color of her hair. 

"Red? Okay. I'll be back in just a minute," Kaito states before walking off.

"Naruto, you said that you're training to become a ninja, right?" Fugaku asks. I nod. "Well, do you have any weapons? A ninja needs weapons, you know," I shake my head. "Alright, let's get you set up with a standard set of kunai and shuriken and go up from there," 

It doesn't seem to occur to him that I don't know how to use them effectively and that I might hurt myself. He doesn't seem worried for my safety, like an average adult would be. Instead, he appeared to trust me to take care of myself. 

'Maybe he picked up on my intelligence and maturity.'

Fugaku walks off to go pick things out for me and Itachi and I wait for Kaito to come back. I can sense Kaito towards the back of the store, picking through racks. Fugaku is a few aisles away from us, holding something up to the light to inspect it. 

'He's trying to pick out the best weapons he can find for me, isn't he?' 

**"Well, why wouldn't he, kit? He told you earlier that he's one of your godfathers, which is true. And you already know Jiraiya of the Sannin,"** Kurama replies. 

'Jiraiya-tou-san is one of the greatest ninja of his time, huh? Well, one of his students did grow up to be the Hokage.' 

It isn't much longer until I sense the presence of a small child walking up to us. The child seems to be wearing tight-fitting casual clothes with his or her hair tied up into twin buns.

"Hello, can I help you?" a distinctly feminine voice asks, enunciating each word carefully, like she was trying to get over a lisp. Which is probably an accurate hypothesis because she seems to be no older than me.

"Hi, TenTen-chan," Itachi says. "Don't worry, your father is helping us. This is Naruto, we're just trying to update his wardrobe," I can sense the girl's facial expression change, to something akin to worry. 

'TenTen Higurashi is an awfully strange name. And TenTen-chan? Wouldn't Ten-chan be easier to say?'

"Oh. Then you definitely need my help. Tou-san can't pick clothes for the life of him," TenTen giggles. "What's your favorite color?" Ten-chan asks me. I note that she's still enunciating her words very carefully, nervous that she would make a mistake.

_"Red,"_ I sign.

"Red?" She asks. I nod. "Okay, I'll be back in a minute with my helpless tou-san." 

It's a few minutes later when I sense TenTen run up to us with both Kaito and Fugaku in tow. "Come on, Naruto-kun. I picked some things out for you that I'm sure you'll like," she says happily. She seems a bit more confident prior to leaving. 

'It's interesting.' 

**"What is?"**

'The way that her attitude has changed so quickly. She's obviously more confident in herself now than before.'

Itachi and I follow TenTen as she drags Kaito and Fugaku by their hands. What we stumble upon is a few articles hung up on a rack all their own. I can't see them, but I know that there's only a few there. I wonder why there's so little, I mean it's pretty obvious from how I'm dressed that I need a new closet.

"So, I thought that we could find a general style and work up from there. Is that okay?" TenTen asks nervously. 

'That makes sense. Maybe I won't have to try on a bunch of things I don't like.' And with that in mind, I nod happily before taking the clothes and heading into a dressing room that she directed me to. 'Kurama, send me mental images.' I instruct. 

**"Yeah, whatever, kit. And, I'm just letting you know, your wounds have scarred over. You don't need those bandages anymore. They're still pink and tender, but you're okay now,"**

I undress and unwrap the bandages from my torso before continuing. There's a long sleeve fishnet shirt, so I put that on first. Then, on goes a scarlet t-shirt. On goes black ANBU style pants and over them goes a pair of black knee-high boots with red accents. Kurama sent me a mental image of what I look like, and I like it, except for the fact that my scars are completely visible. I suddenly don't want to model these clothes for them. 

**"Kit, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. They likely already know about your kidnapping, so it's fine. Hell, Itachi saw you before your wounds scarred over. They won't judge you, and they're looking forward to seeing you in those clothes. Do you want to disappoint them?"**

I know that I don't want to disappoint these people. I've only met some of them today but I know that I want to please them. I ready myself and open the door. I feel them all turn to look at me as their conversations stop. It's eerily quiet for a moment, but then I hear a squeal that could've only come from TenTen. At least, I hope it did. It would be terrifying if that came from a fully grown man. I would be terrified if Itachi ever made a similar sound.

"Naruto-kun! You look adorable!" TenTen squealed, graciously proving my guess correct. I was immediately relieved that it was her who did the squealing and not someone else.

_"I'm not adorable, I'm awesome and terrifying,"_ I sign with a pout. Itachi immediately starts laughing and Kaito and Fugaku chuckle. 

'Was my comment funny?' 

**"Not really, kit,"**

'Then why'd they laugh at me?' 

**"Because you act so tough and stoic, but in actuality you're an adorable snuggle muffin,"**

'Kurama! I'm not adorable god damn it! I am scary and my glare will make you tremble in awe of my amazing strength!' I think as my face settles into a piercing glare. 

My glare made TenTen cower behind Kaito as he took a step back and both of the Uchihas tensed up in fear. I cracked one of my knuckles. Now, Fugaku and Itachi take a step back too. Realizing how terrified they are of me in that moment, I suddenly break into a grin. 

'Told you so, lazy ass fox!' I think triumphantly. Kurama is oddly quiet. 'Haha, did I scare you too, fuzzball?'

"Do you like it, Naru-chan?" Itachi asks hesitantly. "It definitely doesn't make you look adorable or anything," I could easily tell that he was nervous. 

'Who knew that I could be so scary?'

_"Yes, I like them a lot. I'm not mad that I got called adorable, I'm mad at Kurama. Sorry for scaring you guys. Oops,"_ I sign shyly. 

Everyone breathes a sigh of relief and starts breathing normally again. Kurama chuckles nervously as I narrow a mental glare at him. 

**"Hey, you still love me, right?"** Kurama asks nervously. 

I don't respond.

"I'll go find more things in that style!" TenTen cheers. "Oh, wait, do they fit okay?" I nod again. "Yes!" she exclaims before going off to find me more clothes. 

'Such sudden mood swings. Are all little kids like this?' 

**"Most. Pretty much everyone but you,"** Kurama answers.

"I take it that you're fully healed, Naru-chan?" Itachi asks.

_"Well, dolt, you can see fucking scar tissue instead of those damn scabs, don't you fuckboy?"_ I sign. Kaito and Fugaku break out into hysterical laughter while Itachi facepalms.

TenTen comes back with more clothes and forces me back into the changing room. I model every option, and thanks to Fugaku-tou-san's generosity, I buy all of it. He makes sure to pay for my new weapons as well. Kaito makes me promise that I'll come to him for all of my needs (besides food because he can't cook worth half a damn). I agree. 

By this time, however, I'm starting to space out and I can't focus. My chakra levels are so low that I'm a bit worried about making it home, and my entire body is throbbing with pain as my soreness continues to set in. But I wave Itachi and Fugaku home anyway.

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	7. Prodigal Jinchuuriki

**Chapter 7 - Prodigal Jinchuuriki**

**Author’s Note: Do you hate me yet? Not that any of you particularly care about my personal life, but this week has been pretty rough for me. I’ve been getting sick all week and last night was my grandma’s birthday, so I went out to dinner with her. Wednesdays are early out days for my school, so we get out at 2:30, but I didn’t get home until like 4:30 because my bus had to run another route. Then, I still had to finish my grandma’s present because I’m a terrible granddaughter (and author). I literally came home at like ten o’clock and crashed. Two late updates in a row, I suck. I'm definitely not abandoning this story, so don't worry. Welp, enjoy the update as I enjoy the fact that my school has a four day weekend.**

**Editor’s Note: At least no one has to deal with my chaotic personal life directly this time? Come join the dark side via my social media links in my bio or supporting me financially via my Redbubble shop because I’m broke.**

**Chapter 7**

**The Next Day - Naruto’s P.O.V.**

Kurama wakes me up at the same time as the day before, and I get out of bed carefully. I can hear Kurama’s breathing go even as he falls asleep again, resting from using all of his chakra to help me heal. I notice that my chakra is almost fully restored and my stores of chakra seem to be bigger, or maybe that’s just my imagination. 

I also realize that my body is barely sore. If I move a lot, I definitely feel it, but it isn’t too bad. I barely feel my weights, and I have to check that they’re still there. I quickly undress and shower, make myself breakfast, eat, and leave for the day.

I get to the training ground early and quickly summon as many clones as I can make with a third of my chakra. Just over 400 clones appear, and I have them start on tree climbing again. I immediately start running laps. I’m faster than I was yesterday, it takes me about half a minute to complete each lap, and I start on an eleventh as Itachi shows up. I run up to him.

_“My weights don’t feel heavy at all today, Ita-sensei,”_ I sign.

“Really?” He asks. “Let me check them.” He bends down to check all of my weights. “Nope, they’re at the amount that you asked for, 50 on each arm and 70 on each leg. Do you want me to increase them?” I nod immediately. 

‘I want to continue to challenge my body and I need a way to read on my own for days like today when Kurama’s sleeping.’

After Itachi increases my weights, I’m off running again. I complete 400 laps, 200 sit ups, and 300 one-armed push ups per arm. It’s a lot easier than it was yesterday. I then wander my way back to Itachi-sensei to find out what he wants me to do next.

“Alright, Naruto. Dispel your clones.” Itachi says. “I want to see how far you’ve come with all of this experience.” I nod quickly and dispel my clones. Itachi throws a kunai knife into the ground at my feet, and I shoot him an angry glare before picking it up and walking calmly over to the nearest tree. I walk all the way up the tree and back down (using my Sensory) without a problem. Itachi started clapping.

“Good, you’ve come a long way from yesterday. Now, I want to spar with you in taijutsu while on the tree. You don’t truly master this until you can spar for an hour or more while on a vertical surface.” Itachi states. 

“Okay, butterfly princess. Let’s do this.” I sign, cracking my knuckles. I sense Itachi shiver a bit as I do. I leap back onto the tree, and Itachi follows. He corrects my stance while on the tree and I fight as well as I can. His speed is hard to keep up with because he’s using chakra to propel himself too. 

‘I’m too scared of falling to do that, but I can’t let my fears control me!’ I think, launching myself downwards at Itachi. He dodges like I feared he would, but this time, I was able to catch myself. I engaged Itachi again, trying to copy the movements I sensed.

**Itachi’s P.O.V.**

It was rather impressive. I tell Naruto that I, an ANBU, want to spar with him, and he doesn’t so much as flinch. Not only that, but he was running up the tree without a moment’s hesitation. His stance was nowhere near good, but that was to be expected. 

I gave him little tips as we fight, and I must say that I’m a bit glad he’s above me. He’s still too scared from his brush with death yesterday to launch himself down at me. His eyes suddenly narrow into a glare, and as they sparkle with determination, he launches himself down at me, using his chakra to propel himself from the tree. 

I dodge and watch him catch himself on a branch before springing up and getting back on the tree again. He comes again and again, launching himself at me fearlessly. His stance is improving, and it seems that he’s copying my stance. 

It’s obvious that his chakra control is good, really good. His chakra stores are bigger than mine, but his control is probably as good if not better than mine. His quick improvement is actually alarming. We continue fighting, and after about a half hour without him tiring out, I begin to get a bit worried. 

He’s only getting better. After only forty minutes of sparring, he’s gone from pre-academy level to mid-chuunin level. It’s actually beginning to startle me how fast he’s improving. It would probably be a good idea to let him train with Gai-san.

In the beginning, he just launched himself at me randomly, but now it seems as if he has a strategy. He’s beginning to overwhelm me, so I step it up a bit. I quickly start gaining ground again, but I should’ve known better than to change my stance. He immediately copies the new stance, and instead of being mid-chuunin level, he’s easily low-jounin level. 

‘Damn it. How is he getting this good? Is it his Sensory? Maybe the Kyuubi is helping him.’

**Naruto’s P.O.V.**

Itachi speeds up and changes his stance as I started gaining ground. This new stance seems more advanced, so I try to copy it too. Instantaneously, my body reacts, and I’m gaining ground again. I push Itachi back far enough that the trunk is too thin to maintain a proper stance, and I can tell that he’s beginning to get a bit antsy. 

He’s obviously going easy on me though, because there’s no way that I’d be able to push back an ANBU. Suddenly, he jumps over my head to get behind me and closer to the ground where the tree is thicker. I spin and catch his fist before flipping his body over my shoulder and pinning him against the tree trunk. He grunts as I slam his body into the trunk, and I let myself briefly celebrate this small victory.

“Okay, good,” Itachi croaks. “You fought on the tree for an hour. Nice. Fuck, that hurt,” He grumbles. I give him a sheepish smile and apologize. We jump down from the tree, Itachi explaining how to endure a fall with my own chakra. 

“Alright, onto the next thing!” Itachi leads me through the woods a bit and we stumble upon a pond. “Walk on the water,” He commands. 

I sigh and shoot him an exasperated look, but I walk to the edge of the pond anyway. I carefully balance my foot on the water using chakra. 

I carefully measure the amount of chakra I need and unsurprisingly, it’s a different amount than what I need to climb the trees. For the next few minutes I focus on trying to keep the right amount of chakra in my feet. Once I feel like I can maintain the chakra flow while using my Sensory abilities, I step out onto the water. I carefully balance on the water, and it’s an odd sensation having the water move under me.

“Use more chakra to keep the water from moving too much, Naruto,” Itachi advises. I funnel more chakra into my feet, and sure enough the water stops moving so much. A few ripples spread out from my feet as I walk. 

‘Okay, why the hell is this so fucking easy?’ I easily stand on top of the water, ripples extending from my feet as the water moves a bit. I can feel Ita-sensei watching me.

_“Itachi-sensei, why is this so easy?”_ I sign. Maybe it’s because I measured the amount of chakra I’d need before actually attempting it, but I highly doubt it. 

‘This shouldn’t be this easy. I shouldn’t have been able to corner Itachi while we sparred. He was surely holding back, but then why did he let me pin him?’ I think. 

I carefully maintain a slightly worried look, even though I’m a panic-stricken mess at the moment.

“I don’t know,” Itachi admitted uneasily. “Water walking is really hard compared to tree walking. Even with all of your effort yesterday and today, you shouldn’t be at this level. I noticed in our taijutsu battle earlier that you improve quickly. Too quickly. Not even someone who’s mastered the Sharingan can copy my moves that precisely. Does Kurama know why you’re improving so fast?”

_“That lazy ass fox left me high and dry. He’s asleep,”_ I sign at Itachi.

“Hmm. I think that I’ll ask Hokage-sama about this,” he suggests. “Wait here and keep working,” Itachi continues as he Shunshins off. 

I summon a few Shadow Clones and start sparring with them on the water. I’m still scared, even more so than before. Itachi willingly admitted that it was really odd, and now I don’t even have an annoying fox to tell me to stop overthinking things.

**Itachi’s P.O.V.**

I Shunshin in front of the door to Hokage-sama’s office after telling Naruto to stay put. I’m really curious as to how he’s improving so quickly. It’s actually a bit scary. I knock on the door and hear a muffled, “Enter.” I push open the door and am greeted with the usual sight: Hokage-sama drowning in paperwork. He looks up.

“Itachi? What are you doing here? I thought you were training Naruto?” he asks worriedly.

“Don’t worry, Hokage-sama. Naru-chan is fine, I just left him alone for a minute to speak with you,” I reply. With everything that happened, Hokage-sama must indeed be worried.

“Why?” he asks me. Something in his voice is unfocused, cautious.

“Because I wanted to,” I answer. It’s code for, “Can you activate the silencing seal please?” I see the walls around me shimmer blue for an instant. “Well, Hokage-sama, Naruto is improving quickly,” I continue.

“Ah, that’s good.” he responds happily.

“I mean abnormally, Hokage-sama,” I correct. He gives me a slightly confused look. “Well, Naruto mastered the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu in one try,” The confusion turns to shock. “He mastered tree climbing some time yesterday, and I tested his taijutsu today. He went from pre-academy level to making me scramble to keep ahead of him in less than an hour. He copied my moves, Hokage-sama. Even tou-san and Shisui-nii can’t do that, and surely not as quickly as Naruto did,”

“Um, I, uh, what?” the Hokage stutters. His face drains of color. He takes a deep breath to calm himself. “Okay. Um, why? How?”

“I have no idea. Could it be because he’s an Uzumaki?” I ask.

“I don’t know. As far as I know, Kushina didn’t have an ability like that. I’ll look into it though. Thank you, Itachi. Please return to Naruto. I don’t like leaving him alone for too long,” the Hokage replies, an uneasy lilt to his voice.

“Neither do I, even if he is insanely strong already. Thank you for speaking with me,” I immediately Shunshin back to Naruto to watch him sparring with shadow clones. Crushing through clones and simultaneously making more without using hand signs, he looked like an ANBU already. 

“What the fuck.” I mutter to myself. 

He’s four, this is his second day of training, and he looks like a goddamn ANBU. What the fuck. Why the fuck is this a thing. What the hell. Immediately he stops his movements and the shadow clones all simultaneously disperse as he turns to look at me. I try so hard not to facepalm, but I simply have to. He really looks like a ninja that’s been training for years.

_“Something wrong, Ita-sensei?”_ he signs.

“Umm… No,” I reply hesitantly. Naruto gives me an inquisitive look. “Come here, Naruto,” I command. Naruto narrows his eyes at me slightly but obeys anyway, using chakra to launch himself from the surface of the pond and land in a crouch in front of me. 

‘How the fuck did he judge the distance that accurately? He’s blind for christ’s sake!’ Naruto peers up at me curiously. 

“I think that we should focus a bit more on your basic skills for now,” I tell him, feeling decidedly uncomfortable with his progress.

 _“I need a way to read when Kurama’s asleep. Is that the sort of stuff you mean?”_ Naruto signs.

“Sort of, yeah.” I sigh “We need to teach you about the history of Konoha, your role as a jinchuuriki, and honestly, I don’t want to be the only person training you, even if Dog only wanted me to teach you the basics. You’re such a fast learner that I feel bad chaining you to just the basics. I want you to be as proficient as possible in as many areas as possible,”

_“Do you want to ask the others to help with my training now? And will I only be training with Team Scarecrow, or will I train with others as well?”_ Naruto signs.

“Uh, yeah, let’s go now. And I’m thinking that you should work with Nara Shikaku for your education, and I kind of want to see you in action against a taijutsu expert too, so maybe we’ll reach out to Might Gai,” I reply. 

Naruto sighs, not the dramatic sigh that means, “Really, idiot?” but a sigh that means he thinks I’m ridiculous. We walk out of training ground 43 and head down the sidewalk until we reach the Nara compound. We let ourselves inside the main gates and head over to where Shikaku lives. I knock on the door. After a few minutes with no sound I turn away, but Naruto grabs my wrist and keeps me from leaving the step. Just then, I hear frantic footsteps. 

‘Maybe having a sensor-nin is useful.’ The door flies open and inside is a very frazzled looking Nara Yoshino, Shikaku’s wife.

“Hello, Yoshino-san. We were wondering if Shikaku-san is here?” I ask, giving her a charming smile.

“Ah, Itachi-kun. Yeah, he is. Wait just a minute.” Yoshino turns around and screams, “SHIKAKU, GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE! ITACHI-KUN IS HERE TO SPEAK WITH YOU!” she takes a deep breath. “Sorry about that, he’s so lazy sometimes. I really have to scream at him most times.”

“It’s not a problem.” I say kindly. 

I push Naruto behind me as he clutches his sensitive ears in agony. Luckily, Yoshino doesn’t see him or else she would’ve felt bad. Naruto steps out from behind me shyly as he recovers.

“Oh, who’s this cutie, Itachi-kun?” Yoshino asks sweetly as she allows us into the entryway.

_“I’m Uzumaki Naruto, ma’am.”_ Naruto signs.

“Uzumaki Naruto?” she asks. Naruto nods. “My word! I knew your parents! You’re the spitting image of your father!” she chirps. “But you look a lot like your mother too,”

_“Yeah, I do look a lot like my dad, but my personality matches more with my mom.”_ Naruto signs back with a grin.

“Oh, you know who your parents are?” Yoshino asks.

“I know a lot of things I probably shouldn’t.”

Yoshino chuckles at this before saying, “So, Naruto, why are you with Itachi-kun?”

_“Itachi-san is training me to become a ninja after I asked Hokage-sama. He was more than a little willing after my kidnapping.”_ he signs.

“I’d bet,” Yoshino chuckles. “He probably would’ve had ANBU looking after you anyway. It’s a better way to use your time, I guess. SHIKAKU!”

“Goddammit, woman. I’m coming, I’m coming,” we hear from upstairs. I very nearly facepalm. Naruto, however, gives me a dramatic sigh, meaning, “Are you stupid?” as he once again covers his ears.

“I promise that I’m not stupid, Naruto. This guy is smart, trust me,” I reply.

_“Smart, but lazy. Great combo, moron butterfly princess.”_ He signs, huffing. Yoshino chuckles. We hear footfalls on the stairs and turn to look. Well, Naruto doesn’t, but that’s besides the point.

“What the fuck do you want from-oh, Itachi!” Shikaku says.

“Hello, Shikaku-san. I know that this is very presumptuous of me, but could you help me with something?” I ask politely. Naruto claps, drawing my and Shikaku’s attention.

_“I’m a thing now, Itachi-sensei?”_ He has a very serious look on his face, and a murderous glint in his eyes. He cracks a knuckle and I flinch involuntarily.

“NO, NO, of course not!” I shout, scrambling for a way to avoid his anger.

_“Oh really? That’s what you just said, isn’t it?”_ he signs jerkily, enunciating his anger. 

‘Odd, even when he broke down last night, his hands were always steady.’ 

_“You should keep in mind that I was able to create 100 shadow clones on my first try and mastered tree climbing and water walking both in less than a day. Not only that, but I pinned you in my first taijutsu fight. We come to ask Shikaku-san for help with the intelligence aspect of my training and you start off by calling me a thing?! How rude.”_

“Training, deal. When?” Shikaku suddenly agrees.

“Wait. Really?” I respond, surprised.

“Yeah, sure, why not? I mean, I was one of Minato’s best friends and we were nearly picked to be his godparents, so yeah. I’ll train him. When? Besides, he sounds like a fucking prodigy,”

“What day works best for you, Shikaku-sensei?” Naruto signs.

“Hmm,” He considered it. “Probably Monday. Are you good for Mondays, Naruto?” Naruto nods happily. 

_“Onto the next one, moron butterfly princess.”_

Shikaku started laughing. “What’s the story behind that nickname?”

“I have no idea.” I mutter. “He just started calling me that yesterday for no reason,” Naruto claps again.

_“Well, he’s ridiculously serious. A butterfly princess is about as far as you can get from his personality and still be insulting,”_ Naruto signs.

“At least I know the reason behind the nickname.” I sigh.

Shikaku laughs loudly. “I’ll see you Monday, Naruto. Just come over here sometime in the morning,” Shikaku waves as we leave. As the door closes behind us, I see an ANBU bird for Team Scarecrow overhead. 

“Naruto, that’s the bird for my team. It looks like I’m being summoned to the Hokage’s office. Do you want to come and see what’s going on?” I ask. I probably shouldn’t ask if he wants to sit in on a likely confidential meeting, but I didn’t want to leave him alone. He nods with a grin. “Okay, then. Try to keep up!” I call over my shoulder, leaping onto the nearest roof. He’s immediately behind me, judging the distance between buildings with practiced ease. 

‘How the hell has he improved so fast?!’

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	8. Care to Spar?

**Chapter 8 - Care to Spar?**

**Author's Note: I know that this chapter is going to seem short, but the next one will be a bit shorter I think. It has some pretty interesting content in the next two chapters. I think that you guys will like them. As I've said before, Naruto enters the academy at chapter 9, but I think that it's important to get all of these relationships established first. The next three chapters are fairly short, sorry. Enjoy the chapter anyway! :)**

**Editor’s Note: Do we really care how long the chapters are now? One of the later chapters is like 500 words. These are all several thousand? It’s fine past-Quinne. I have virtual cake for those who would like to harass me on social media or purchase my art via Redbubble (links are in my bio)!**

**Chapter 8**

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

I quickly and carefully jump from roof to roof alongside Itachi. I figure that he's probably going slower than usual on my behalf, but I can go faster if he wanted me to. For now, I guess I'll keep it at an easy speed.

**"Want me to continue, kit? Or will it distract you?"** Kurama asks warmly. He had woken up a few minutes ago. For some reason, the stupid fox likes me. Guess he's crazy or something. 

'It won't distract me, so yes, please go on.' 

**"Alright, well, where were we? Oh, yeah. Okay, so as I was saying, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama agreed to an alliance and this alliance brought forth Konohagakure no Sato. The clans associated with the Senju and Uchiha became a part of the village, and later, more clans and civilians alike moved into the village. Hashirama became the Shodaime Hokage. Even though Madara and Hashirama were best friends, Madara still couldn't bring himself to trust Hashirama. He felt as though the village would discriminate against the Uchiha clan, and he tried to get the Uchiha to turn against Hashirama. The rest of the clan refused. Madara and Hashirama ended up fighting, both of them tried controlling me, basically it sucked. Hashirama won against Madara and killed him. The fight took place at a valley now called The Valley of the End, because that's where one of the most prominent friendships of all time ended. At least that's how I think. Anyway, I was sealed into Hashirama and then into his wife, Uzumaki Mito. Hashirama died and his younger brother Tobirama took over the seat of Hokage,"** Kurama concluded as Itachi and I arrived at the Hokage tower. 

We enter through the front entrance and the Hokage's receptionist glares at me. I can sense it and gesture to Itachi, who just keeps walking past her, as a way of saying, "I'm with him." Itachi knocks on the door to Hokage-sama's office. We hear a muffled, "Enter" and Itachi pushes open the door, holding it open to allow me to enter before him.

"Itachi, you aren't usually the last to arrive," the Hokage states. "What was the holdup?" 

'Huh, didn't he notice me? No, he must've. He probably assumed that Itachi would bring me in order to keep me safe.'

"Hokage-sama, I think the more pressing matter is why Itachi brought a child to our mission meeting," Dog states. He's the one that asked if I was human.

"My apologies," Itachi says monotonically. "I didn't want to simply leave him, and I figured that there wouldn't be any harm in it. We don't usually discuss anything confidential, and he's a smart kid,"

"I agree," Hokage-sama interjects. "Naruto-kun isn't doing anyone any harm,"

_"I'll leave if it's a problem."_ I sign, forgetting that most people probably don't know sign language. Of course, Itachi could translate for me, but it still makes me blush. Embarrassment turns my cheeks scarlet.

"Don't worry, Naruto," the female ANBU says. "If Hokage-sama says it's alright, then Dog-taichou can't really argue," I smile warmly at her. The only one of Team Scarecrow's names that I know is Itachi, and it's bothering me a bit. Thinking of them by their codenames when they saved me just doesn't feel right.

"Alright then," Jii-san orders, "Remove your masks. Introduce yourselves to Naruto," 

I shoot him a grateful smile, it had begun to get annoying not knowing their names. I felt the other members of Team Scarecrow remove their masks.

"I'm Mitarashi Anko, AKA Snake," the female ANBU says.

"My name is Uchiha Shisui, Lion," the other monotone sounding ANBU introduces.

"Hey, I'm Umino Iruka, otherwise known as Falcon," says the one that had gotten me to break down in tears the night of my rescue. I like this guy.

"I'm Hatake Kakashi, Dog, and the captain of Team Scarecrow," Dog says. This one doesn't seem to like me very much, and I try to remain calm and carefree, but it's beginning to scare me. People that don't like me tend to hurt me.

I nod warmly to all of them, a huge grin lighting up my face. It's nice to know their names, that's for sure. I know already that I like Itachi, Shisui, Anko, and Iruka, but I'm not too keen on Kakashi at the moment. He seems lazy and he seems to harbor the most animosity towards me. It was Iruka that said that they weren't like the villagers and that they didn't think of me as a demon, but could that really be said for Kakashi? He certainly doesn't seem too friendly.

"Let me tell you why you are here, Team Scarecrow," the Hokage spoke tiredly. 

'The old man is probably stressed out because of my kidnapping and dealing with the council.' 

"It has come to my attention that Naruto seems to be improving faster than we thought, and I want him training with all of you as soon as possible," Jii-san explains. 

I quirk an eyebrow at him. Itachi must've said something. Sure, I'm progressing scarily fast, but won't having more people training me cause me to improve faster?

"How fast is he improving, Hokage-sama?" Anko asked unsurely. The Hokage gestured towards Itachi, signaling him to explain. He really seemed tired and stressed.

"Well," Itachi began. "he mastered the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu in one try, creating around one hundred clones at once. He's already mastered tree climbing and water walking, and he pinned me in his first taijutsu fight," Everyone stared at Itachi in shock. Hearing Itachi put it that way really put it into perspective.

"Were you going too easy on him?" Kakashi asked. Itachi shook his head. 

'Wait, what? I was certain he was holding back! How the hell?' A tiny bubble of fear sprouted in my heart. I'm really improving quickly.

"This is why I want you all to start training with him immediately. Itachi-kun mentioned that Naruto seemed to be copying his moves, I want you to test this theory," the Hokage instructed them. "Ask Gai for help as well," he suggested.

"We've also just asked Shikaku-san to assist in his schooling, so Naruto will be with him on Mondays," Itachi interjected. Suddenly, I sensed the mood in the room brighten.

"Alright, then! We should start the gaki's tortu-training~" Anko yipped happily. "immediately. Ne, taichou?" Kakashi sighs. He must be decently used to his team's behavior.

"Yeah," Shisui seemed to purr, unbefitting his monotone voice. "I'm sure we'll have lot's of fun together, ne?" Kakashi groans in apparent agony. Iruka chuckles darkly, which causes Kakashi to release another groan and face-palm simultaneously.

"Just a warning," Itachi whispered. "they're much worse than I am. I should know, they trained me,"

_"Fuck my life. Why did I ask for this?"_ I sign. Anko burst into laughter and Shisui started chuckling.

"Because you want to be a strong ninja, right?" Itachi prompts. I nod hesitantly. "You've got dreams," I nod again. I can practically see the sadistic grin I just know he's sporting. "and we're going to crush them. And you. I wish you luck. As long as you keep that hard-working attitude, you'll be just fine, if not half-dead," His voice sounds so chipper, and it sends shivers down my spine.

"Oh-ho~" Anko chirps. "This'll be fun,"

"Try not to kill him at least," Kakashi begged. "Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama will be pissed if we kill him. Not only that, but it'll fall completely on my shoulders. Do you want to deal with her monstrous strength?"

_"If you kill me, Kurama will be pissed. You don't want a demon to be pissed at you."_ I sign eagerly, trying to get them to realize that pissing off the demon I contain would be a bad idea.

"Kurama?" Iruka asks. I nod.

_"The Nine-Tails."_ I clarify. I can practically sense their unease at the idea of me being friends with Kurama. I'm almost tempted to laugh, but I'm a little scared of them at the moment.

"That's a pretty interesting name," Shisui comments.

"We won't kill him, yes?" Kakashi asks his team. There's a bit of grumbling, but luckily enough for me, they all agree to not work me to death. "Alright then! Naruto, are you feeling a bit less apprehensive about this? We won't force you into anything you don't want to do," he clarifies cautiously. 

'I think that he's worried about making you mad, Kura-chan. If only they knew what a softie you are.' I tease gently, earning a growl from Kurama. 'Oh, hush, darling. We both know that you love me.' 

_"A bit, yeah,"_ I sign in response to Kakashi's question. He sighs in relief.

"Okay, then," he chirps. "Care to start now? If you're too tired, we'll understand," he offers sympathetically. I almost take him up on his offer to skip today. "It's understandable, I mean, you are just a little kid," he taunts, breaking my train of thought. Anger washes over me. Obviously, his team aren't the only ones that are crazy. 

'Does he want me to kick his ass? Because that can certainly be arranged.'

_"Well, this little kid is going to kick your ass, mutt."_ I sign angrily, my hands remaining steady. Kakashi chuckles dryly. 

"Do you want to test that theory of yours?" he asks arrogantly. 

Anko chuckles, Shisui mutters something about me dying a slow painful death, and Iruka, "ooh"'s, trying desperately to suppress his own laughter. Itachi is eerily quiet. I glance over at him, moving my eyes towards him to silently ask the reason for his silence. The other's reactions are seemingly normal.

"What 'cha lookin' so smug about, Uchiha-gaki?" Anko questions tauntingly. 

'Oh, so he's smug, huh? Does he really think that I'll be able to beat his team leader?' 

**"He probably does, kit. You're improving at an abnormally fast rate. I think that if nothing else, you'll be able to hold your ground against him,"**

"Well, I've been teaching him, and trust me, he'll kick your ass, taichou," he says resolutely. 

"Oh, really now?" Kakashi asks a bit tauntingly, but I could hear a little unease in his voice. "A little kid can kick my ass after training for a day and a half?"

"Yep. He's shockingly strong," Itachi replies warmly. "Plus, you heard Hokage-sama. He's already copied my moves, and he'll copy yours too. Sure, he's lacking physical strength, but he more than makes up for it. He's fearless and he's fast. Earlier today, he literally threw himself down the tree as we sparred to try and hit me. He did it strategically, too. He's smart and easily formed a strategy to counteract my strengths and take advantage of my weakness. After all, he did copy every move I allowed him to see. He'll kick your ass easily, taichou," 

"Hmm," he considered. "We'll see. Care to spar, Naruto?" he asks intimidatingly.

"Game on, mutt. Training ground 43. See you there," I sign slowly, making sure that he understands everything before I disappear into thin air. 

A Shunshin. A type of jutsu that allows the user to travel at incredibly fast speeds, making it look like they're teleporting. When I'd heard Itachi say something about it yesterday, I had asked Kurama to explain it to me. I had understood it really well, but this was my first time using the jutsu. I figured that doing it before Kakashi had a chance to act would give me at least a tiny head start.

I released as large of a chakra ripple as I could. I could just barely glimpse all of Team Scarecrow, still inside the Hokage's office. I must have taken them by surprise. I settle into a defensive position, waiting for the others to arrive. I feel their chakra signatures hurtling towards me at a rapid rate. I prepare myself. They appear before me simultaneously.

"I have to admit," Kakashi starts. "your Shunshin surprised me, Naruto. Care for a fight?" he asks sadistically. 

Adrenaline races through me at the sound of his tone. He doesn't sound like he wants to evaluate my abilities, he sounds like he genuinely wants to hurt me. Fear begins to bubble up in my chest. I don't want to get hurt again. I guess that just means that I have to protect myself. It's not like I can rely on everyone else to protect me forever. Kurama just won't tolerate having a weak jinchuuriki. 

  
  


**A/N: If any of you guys like Fairy Tail, feel free to check out my other fanfic, "The Beat of War Drums." It's Dragneel Brothers, NaLu, and loads of angst! Check it out if you want! :)**

**Editor’s Note: This one has also been edited. Come harass me there as well. Or the other two stories I’m rebooting. Just stalk my Wattpad/Ao3 account.**

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	9. Why You Should Always Take Naruto Seriously

**Chapter 9 - Why You Should Always Take Naruto Seriously**

**Author's Note: Hello, how's your day? My day sucked, thanks for asking. One word, gym. There's a reason why I dread that class. We had a fitness day. But I did get City Brew this morning, so I guess it's okay. Anywho, next chapter will be Naruto entering the Academy, some flashbacks about the important stuff that happened during the timeskip. Then, another timeskip to graduation. Things are really going to get going after that, I think. Then again, chapter 13 is the bell test, so maybe not. Enjoy Kakashi's P.O.V. in the beginning. And please, please, please, don't give me a comment complaining about how OP Naruto is. I know that he's on a godly level already, and there's a reason. You shall be told that reason later. Enjoy the update!**

**Editor’s Note: So, funny story. When I wrote this Author’s Note, I didn’t even know the reason I was going to give for Naruto being so OP. I was mostly addressing my own concerns with that. Also, gym was my biggest problem back then? Oh my god I would kill to be in gym class instead of at work! Not that gym class isn’t hard, I just like to pick my battles. Still had no plan for the ending. It feels half-baked now. I cry inside. Come reassure me by following the links in my bio or buying things on my Redbubble because money soothes the aches of the mortal world.**

**Chapter 9**

**Kakashi's P.O.V.**

As Naruto uses a Shunshin, I feel my jaw drop. 

'Why didn't Itachi tell me that he knows that jutsu?' I think angrily. But, when I look over at Itachi's face, I can tell that he's surprised as well. 'What an interesting jinchuuriki we have.'

"Come on! Let's move!" I shout at my team to break them out of their shocked states. 

They instantly respond with a well-practiced "Hai, taichou!" I Shunshin to training ground 43, the same one Naruto specified. I feel my team appear behind me as I take in our little jinchuuriki. He stands in a defensive position a few yards away from us. I recognize the position from Itachi's taijutsu style. 

Itachi wasn't lying, the kid really did copy at least his stance. He seems a bit wary. 'Good, he knows that I'm here even when I haven't made a sound.' I know that I need to assess his taijutsu and see if he really can copy people's moves, but I want to get a little insight into his personality as well.

"I have to admit," I purr, trying to sound intimidating. "your Shunshin surprised me, Naruto. Care for a fight?" I try to sound as sadistic as possible, even going so far as to release a bit of killing intent. Naruto flinches a bit at my tone, and the sight tugs at my heart. 

This is my sensei's child, and he probably thinks that I want to hurt him. He doesn't seem all that affected by my killing intent. His stance doesn't waver, even when I start releasing enough killing intent to make Iruka shiver a bit behind me. Suddenly, he relaxes a bit. His eyes shine with confidence and determination. I can't tell who he looks like more, his mother or his father. But, he doesn't seem affected in the slightest about my killing intent.

_"Ready when you are, sensei,"_ he signs. I can't help but notice that his hands are steady. 

I nearly sigh. I barely manage to hold back my lazy attitude in favor of maintaining the sadistic personality I've taken on. I grunt slightly in response before launching myself at him.

Naruto is quick to react, sidestepping my lazy lunge towards him. Itachi was certainly right about Naruto being fast. He goes for a kick to the back of my right knee. 

'He realized that I'm favoring that leg.' I barely manage to dodge and the second I do, he's right there trying for a punch to the face. It's a good thing that I'm used to Itachi's fighting style. It's beginning to look like I won't be able to afford going easy on him, especially if he starts copying my moves too. 

I step up my game, trying to overwhelm him. My jaw drops. Immediately after changing my stance, not even a second later, he's already copied it. 

'Fuck.' Itachi was right, this kid is going to kick my ass. I immediately slide my hitai-ate up onto my forehead and open my eye that contains my lone Sharingan. I don't keep track of how long we're fighting. I can barely keep ahead of him. 

He's persistent. It's like he can't lose. There's something in him that won't let him give up. Maybe it's just childish determination, or maybe my act at the beginning of this fight made him feel cornered. Maybe he feels like if he loses, he might not live to tell the tale of losing against "Sharingan Kakashi." But of course, he can't know that I don't actually want to hurt him.

I need to end this quickly or else Itachi will be right. If this doesn't end now, I'm going to lose. I launch myself backwards, luring Naruto in. I form a hand sign. 

"One Thousand Years of Death!" I shout, jabbing Naruto in the butt childishly. It had the desired effect, though. Naruto went flying. Itachi Shunshined and caught him. 

It was when Itachi caught Naruto and set him carefully on the ground did I notice just how tired my new pupil was. He was panting, gasping for breath. I felt a pang of guilt. I was too focused on not losing that I didn't pay any attention to the physical state of my student.

"You alright, Naru-chan?" Itachi asks warmly. 

Naruto nods. He's a wreck and looks exhausted. He grabs one of Itachi's shoulders and pushes himself to his feet. He looks at me with anger in his eyes. Naruto narrows a piercing glare at me, leveling an accusing finger towards me. I feel myself stiffen a bit.

_"You could've at least taken the fight seriously, you jackass!"_ he signs angrily. 

'That's what he's mad about? He thinks I didn't take the fight seriously? Okay, time to drop the act.'

I sit down, crossing my legs. "Come here," I instruct evenly. My voice sounds stern, leaving no room for argument.

_"No way! If you won't take me seriously, then why are you training me? Just tell Jii-san that you don't want to or something! Plus, why should I trust you? Come on, you've been looking down on me this entire time! You even asked if I was human! Why should I trust you, I don't even know you!"_ Naruto signs. 

I can't help but think that he's right. He has no reason to trust me. But then again, he shouldn't need a reason to trust me. I'm his superior officer.

"You don't need a reason to trust me," I counter calmly. "I'm your superior, and you have to obey me," Naruto scowled at me, but I refused to back down from this. 

I had done similar things with all of my team members, but most of them had come to me immediately when called. They had already been used to the fact that they had to obey their superiors. Naruto, however, was completely new to the shinobi world, which meant that I'd have to teach him from ground zero.

Naruto gripped Itachi's shoulder a bit harder. He folded in on himself a little. His body language told me that he's afraid of me. Itachi looks over his shoulder at me, glaring protectively as his hand rests on Naruto's back. I narrow my eyes at him a bit. A silent message to let me do what I'm going to do. Itachi's hand leaves Naruto's back and he stands up, completely abandoning Naruto.

Naruto doesn't turn to look as Itachi walks over to the rest of the team. His face is angled down, his bangs hiding his eyes. Guilt grips me again. He's shaking just a bit. He inhales sharply and takes a step forward. He suddenly dashes towards me, dropping to one knee before me.

_"Sorry for my tardiness, sensei,"_ he signs. His head is angled downwards, his eyes closed. He seems at ease, despite the position he's in. 

'Does he actually trust me? He was right before in saying that he didn't have a reason to. What's with this sudden change?'

"It's fine, don't let it happen again though," I respond sternly. "I'm curious. Why did you come over here? You were right in saying that you don't have a reason to trust me," Naruto looked up, his eyes opening as he tilted his head slightly.

_"What makes you think I trust you?"_ he signed. 

'Good, he doesn't. But then why is he so close?' Suddenly there was a poof and Naruto disappeared. 'Shadow Clone! When did he switch?' I hear a slight thud behind me and I turn sharply to look. I stop half-way, taking note of the kunai pressed against the side of my throat.

"I told you he would kick your ass, taichou," Itachi calls warmly.

"Shut the hell up, Itachi!" I growl in reply. "You think you can best me, brat?" I question, turning further to look at his eyes. He flinches sharply. 

I nearly forgot that probably all of the villagers call him a brat. I almost feel bad, but this is as good a time as any to figure out exactly where his loyalties lie.

Naruto looks down, away from my face. It's a bit odd, I mean, he can't see me anyway. He removes the knife from my neck and holds it against his own, raising his head once more. Defiance sparkles in his eyes. The kunai is pressed against his neck along the scar tissue from having his throat slit just a few days before. 

Swiftly, before I can act, he drags the kunai across his throat, reopening the scar. I jump forward, astounded that he would do such a thing, and catch him before he can crash to the ground. I immediately start using my limited knowledge of medical ninjutsu to try to heal the wound.

I hear a clap come from my team and turn to glance over at them while continuing my work. It wasn't a member of my team who clapped though. It was Naruto who clapped to gain my attention. A poof sound is heard as the shadow clone I had been trying to heal disappears. 

_"And now, sensei, I know I can trust you,"_ he signs with a grin. I huff in response. He didn't have to be such a brat about outsmarting me.

"Alright, you tricked me. I accept defeat. It's become glaringly obvious to me that you're incredibly smart, and that's good. You didn't lower your guard for a second," I said. "I believe that Hokage-sama's assumption that you can copy moves is an accurate one. You're fast, and I'd like to focus on that especially. You need to be trained in taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu. It would also be a good idea to learn medical ninjutsu, as well as fuinjutsu. Do you have any idea what I'm talking about?" Naruto gives me an exasperated look.

_"Of course I do, puppy. Taijutsu is one's physical ability and it can be advanced via chakra. Ninjutsu are the abilities we can perform using chakra that seem otherworldly or like magic, like the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu. Genjutsu are illusions. Medical ninjutsu is a ninjutsu form that is specialized for healing. Fuinjutsu is the art of seal making, which the Uzumaki Clan studied in great depth."_ he signed arrogantly.

"Oh, you're just a little know-it-all, aren't you?" I taunt. "It's almost like dealing with Itachi all over again." I huff. Itachi dons a hurt look, and it takes a lot out of me to not laugh.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

'Okay, this guy is a total jackass. I answered his question, so what's he getting all pissy for?' 

**"Kit, adults don't like being one-upped by kids,"** Kurama clarified through his laughter. 

'Ugh, whatever. I'm smart, so he should just deal with it.' My attention is drawn back to Kakashi when he starts talking in that arrogant, lazy tone again.

"Okay, Naruto. We'll officially start off your training tomorrow. Anko, I'll leave tomorrow's training exercises up to you," he says dramatically. Anko squeals excitedly.

"Ooh~ Okay, let's see. Maybe some Death Tag. Ne~ sensei?" she chirped.

_"That sounds dangerous,"_ I blanch.

"Of course it is, gaki!" she squeals.

_"What is it?"_ I sign nervously.

"Oh, you want me to explain now?" she asks. I nod in reply. "Okay, well, we'll go into the Forest of Death. We'll be your opponents. Your only goal is to survive. Death Tag, it's exactly what it sounds like," she explains rather calmly.

_"Well, when you explain it that way, it doesn't sound so bad. What's the Forest of Death, and where is it?"_ I ask.

"The Forest of Death is training ground 44," Shisui responds. "But don't get too cocky, the creatures that lurk in the Forest of Death is what gives that place it's name. Even practiced Jonin feel a bit uneasy in there." 

_"Meh, I'll be fine."_

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	10. The Academy

**Chapter 10 - The Academy**

**A/N: Sorry, this is a short chapter. I didn't know what else to squeeze in here. I just wanted some clashing between Naruto and Sasuke, as well as some back story into exactly what happened with the Uchiha Massacre. Also, I'm sorry for the almost late update (I'm on mountain time), I was watching Parks and Recreation with my dad. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.**

**Editor’s Note: I did things with my dad? Wow. Interesting. Also, this isn’t that short of a chapter? Oh well. Come say hello via the links in my bio (including my Redbubble shop)! (I’m running out of interesting ways to shamelessly self-promote. It’s only Chapter 9.)**

**Chapter 10**

**Four Years Later - Third Person P.O.V.**

In a classroom at the academy, in a certain room, sits a teacher, Umino Iruka, and one of his students, Uchiha Sasuke. Iruka doesn't know what to say. Just last night, Sasuke's entire family was slaughtered. It was early in the morning, nearly an hour before class started, so the two sat in silence. 

Iruka had been a chuunin teacher for about a year now, and he loved it. No taxing missions, just an easy day dealing with some interesting potential shinobi. Iruka truly loved his job, it was quite refreshing after being on the most prestigious ANBU team of all time. But at the moment, Iruka hated his job. Here was one of his students, the prodigy of his class, sad and depressed because his family was brutally murdered in front of him by his older brother last night. At least, he thought it was his older brother. 

The door slides open harshly and in the doorway stands a short blond boy with cerulean eyes and three whisker marks on each cheek. He was adorable, if not for that orange jumpsuit. Kill me orange, that's the only thing that color could be called. His eyes scan the nearly empty classroom. Suddenly, he stiffens and points directly at Iruka.

"Are you Iruka?!" the boy shouts in a scratchy voice. The whisker marks were seemingly carved into each of his cheeks.

"Ah, um, yes?" Iruka stutters back. 

It's been nearly a year since his favorite "little brother" had started talking again, but he didn't think he would ever get used to it. Especially now that he was using that childish voice. At least before, his voice was silky and smooth, like you could listen to him talk for hours. This wasn't the boy Iruka had come to love so much, at least not exactly.

"Huh?" the boy mutters, tilting his head to the side cutely. "Then that means you're my sensei, y'know?" he shouts. 

'This kid is loud. Loud and obnoxious, but he looks familiar. Whatever.' Sasuke thinks. Iruka internally laughs at the verbal tick, dattebayo, that the boy's mother passed down to him.

"Really?" Iruka asks. "What's your name?" 

The boy's eyes widen and his face turns scarlet in embarrassment. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm gonna be Hokage one day, believe it!" he shouts, recovering from his brief embarrassment. Iruka smiles again at the verbal tick.

"Oh, I see," Iruka says solemnly. "I'm in the presence of a future Hokage, I should be more respectful," he reprimands himself with a smirk on his face, directed toward the blond.

The boy laughs boisterously. "Yeah, you're right. Believe it!" 

"Could you shut up, dobe?" Sasuke asks tiredly. 

Naruto looks at Sasuke, making a "huh" sound.

"Who do you think you are, you-you-you teme!" he shouts. "I'm gonna be Hokage one day, y'know?"

"How original," Sasuke scoffs. 

Naruto dons a mask of anger and spins to ask Iruka where he'll sit. He's indignant and petulant, a complete opposite from the Naruto that Iruka knows.

"You'll sit next to Sasuke, Naruto," Iruka confesses with a chuckle.

"WHAT!?" both boys shout, Sasuke rising to his feet.

"Heh, sorry Sasuke, but I can't stand your fangirls always arguing about who sits next to you. This will be permanent, neither of you are allowed to sit anywhere but next to each other. Sorry, boys," Iruka chuckles nervously. 

'Making Naru-chan mad on the first day probably wasn't the best plan, but I know that he wants to protect Sasuke, and the best way to do that is to keep your target close.'

Iruka very nearly laughs as he watches Naruto begrudgingly sit down in the seat next to Sasuke. Maybe he did inherit some sadistic traits from "Anko-nee-chan."

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

Oh, Iruka will definitely pay for this later. Not that I blame him. Probably his idea of helping me out. I guess I'll make use of the opportunity. I should try to amend my first impression to Sasuke. Of course, the first impression that Sasuke knows about.

**Flashback no Jutsu**

Itachi-nii was off on a mission again. Everyone says that it's only a matter of time until I get accepted into the ANBU too, but I don't like sitting at home doing nothing. I've already finished my regiment for today. 

Maybe I could go hang out with someone. No, the only friends I have are on missions, and I don't want to bother Ten-chan when she's sick. Plus, Ayame-nee-chan and Teuchi-san are working. Shikaku-sensei? No, he's with Shikamaru-kun today. Ugh, who?

**"Me?"** Kurama asks cutely. 

'Heh, nice try. I love you Kura-chan, but you are always in my head. I want contact with another human being today, thanks' 

**"What about Itachi's little brother, Sasgay or something?"**

'Sasuke, right. Itachi probably doesn't want us to meet yet, though.' 

**"So just look after him without him seeing you. That counts as human contact,"**

'That it does, that it does. I like the way you think, Kura. You usually leave the human matters to me, so this is rather refreshing.' 

**"Shut up and leave, kit,"**

'Ah, right! Human interaction!'

I quickly rise from my seated position and run out the door. I trace Sasuke's chakra until I find him. The little gaki is in a training area on the Uchiha territory, trying to hit a target with a kunai. He's pretty decent, considering his age and build, but I can't help but flinch slightly as I watch him miss knife after knife. 

**"Kit, don't help him. Itachi doesn't want you two to meet yet,"** Kurama instructs. 

'I know, I know. But I wanna, y'know?' 

From that point on, I decide to ignore Kurama. What I'm doing is definitely not what I should be doing, but whatever. I jump down from the tree I was perched in, causing a bit of a ruckus.

Sasuke looks up at me, panting slightly. "Who are you?" he asks accusingly.

"I can help you." I say quickly, momentarily pushing past my fear of speaking. Only for a moment, as it takes everything in me not to have a panic attack on the spot. My voice sounded a bit air-y, but I doubt that the gaki noticed it.

"Really?" Sasuke asks hopefully. I nod, grinning slightly. "Then please do! I want to impress my nii-san!" he exclaims excitedly.

**Flashback no Jutsu End**

Where had that adorable kid gone? Oh yeah, he died last night along with his family. Fear moves through me briefly as I remember each and every Uchiha falling around me as I struggled to protect Sasuke.

**Flashback no Jutsu**

Chaos. Chaos and blood. Screams. Why did this feel familiar? Oh, right. It felt like war. After seeing Kurama's memories, I can safely say that. Uchiha after Uchiha are falling, dropping like flies. It's evening, I had been walking Itachi and Sasuke home to the Uchiha compound, however I was still in my mask. 

A meeting had taken place between their parents and Hokage-sama today. These meetings had been going on for nearly a year while we tried to make peace with the Uchiha clan, after all, they were orchestrating a coup d'etat. It had been working too. But then that idiot Danzo had to screw everything up. He sent in ROOT.

The only thought in my head as I sliced mercilessly through the emotionless operatives, save Sasuke, because for some reason, I've grown fond of the Uchiha-gaki over the past year of watching him. 

And protect him I did. Erase his memories, did that. Replace his memories with ones of Itachi murdering everyone in a psychotic manner, check. Chase Itachi out of the village and out to his mission of infiltrating the Akatsuki, easy as cake.

**Flashback no Jutsu End**

Yeah, last night, man. That was fun. I barely managed to chase Itachi out of the village to get here on time-er early, I guess. Guess I got the time wrong. I look over at Sasuke. He probably thinks I'm an obnoxious asshole.

"Listen, Uchiha," I sense him glance at me and feel a foreboding presence. Oh, he must be glaring at me. "I think that we must have gotten off on the wrong foot, y'know? How about we start over?"

"I don't care whether you like me or not, dobe," Sasuke muttered. 

'Emo-Uchiha-gaki.' I think dryly.

"Well, I care if you like me, so let's start over, ne?" I retort.

"Fine," Sasuke mutters.

"Yosh!" I whisper-scream to myself. "Hey, I'm Uzumaki Naruto," I introduce, letting my voice drop a few decibels. 

I try to keep a care-free aura about me, hoping that it'll put Sasuke at ease. Doesn't seem to work though. Sasuke tenses up a bit.

"Uchiha Sasuke, dobe," he mutters back. 

'Again with the dobe?'

"Still gonna call me loser, bastard?" I question darkly. 

Sasuke grunts. 

"That isn't a real response," 

Another grunt, and I swear that I hear a smirk with this one. 

I grin. "Wanna be friends?"

"Why would I be friends with you?" Sasuke questions in surprise. 

He definitely hadn't given me any reason to ask that, or even want to be friends with him for that matter. But ever since that fateful first day that I met him, I've held a certain soft spot for him. 

"You don't. Actually, you'd only want to be friends with me if you were stupid, which you aren't," I reply. It's true. Anyone who's friends with a jinchuuriki will suffer. "But, I want to be friends with you,"

"Why?" he asks.

"Because I like people who think for themselves. It's more fun when everyone isn't just giving you the same robotic answer, y'know?" 

"Fine," he replies begrudgingly. 

I feel my face light up against my will. It's good that I typically wear a mask, because I suck at maintaining a neutral facial expression. I guess in this case, my lack of talent is a good thing.

"Yes!" I cheer. Sasuke groans, covers his ears, and puts his head on the desk, his official sign language for, "I hate you."

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	11. Graduation and A Line of Questioning

**Chapter 11 - Graduation and A Line of Questioning**

**Editor’s Note: I didn’t have an Author’s Note for this chapter? Weird. Come join me via the links in my bio or contribute to my financial situation via my Redbubble for some cool pride merch! (I use the word “via” a lot.)**

**Chapter 11**

**Five Years Later - Naruto's P.O.V.**

Graduation day. The day I've been waiting for for so long. Hopefully, Sasuke will take the graduation test today. I've done it the past two years, to cement my stupidity and rank as "Dead-last." 

'Hey, isn't that carved into my stomach?' I immediately apply my henge, becoming shorter, my hair turning completely blond, and my violet eye becoming blue. 

**"Kit, don't tell me that you just noticed,"**

'It's not my fault, y'know! It's not like I ever see the scars, furball.'

I change out of my sleepwear and into my famous jumpsuit, postponing my morning routine until this evening. For the past five years, I've maintained a careful balance of rivalry and friendship with Sasuke. I'd rather ditch the rivalry and stick to just being friends, but I need to keep up my act. 

Sasuke constantly acts like a bastard, acting cold and aloof to everyone. It's quite easy for me to get a rise out of him, though. I'm the only one who can get any sort of reaction out of him.

I wonder where the little kid running up and calling me "Kitsune-nii" went off to. Of course, watching your family get murdered is pretty traumatic. I'm the one that caused him that pain though, I don't deserve to feel guilty or regretful. 

I don't bother with breakfast, this train of thought made me lose my appetite anyway. I walk out the door, securing a big grin on my face and placing my hands behind my head, walking down the street in a carefree manner.

I'm hoping to run into Sasuke, so I take my time and keep track of his chakra signature. I can feel him coming closer and once he rounds this corner, we can walk together. He rounds the corner and calls out, "Hey, dobe," I flounder slightly as if he surprised me and gape at him. "What?" he asks.

"You snuck up on me!" I shout.

"Huh?" he deadpans.

"You shouldn't do that, y'know. I'm gonna be Hokage one day, y'know." I point out solemnly, mentally cursing my use of "dattebayo." Of course my mother had to pass her verbal tick down to me. 

'Damn stupid fucking can't believable.' I grumble to myself.

**"But it's adorable, Naru!"** Kurama interrupts, scandalized.

"Of course I know that, dobe," Sasuke huffed. I almost do a double-take. "I didn't mean to startle you, so can we just move on?" I ponder his offer, clearly over-exaggerating my thinking.

"Yeah, okay," I reply cheerily. Sasuke huffs again. We both know that he told me that he knew I'd be Hokage just to appease me. I can be incredibly stubborn, and it isn't something Sasuke seemingly wants to deal with today. "So, are you going to take the graduation exam?"

"Yeah," Sasuke replies, voice tight and shoulders tense.

"Heh, you'll pass easily, believe it!" I urge, trying to seem a bit melancholy in the process. Let him think I’m doubting my ability to pass. It’ll only help my cover.

"You will too, y'know," he responds quietly, almost shyly. 

For a second, he reminds me of his past self, the one that he allowed Kitsune to see. He took the bait, deciding to try and cheer me up. We both know that I've failed twice and that it would have to be a miracle that would let me pass. Of course, only one of us knows about my true skill level. 

'Wait a second, did he just use dattebayo?' 

**"Mmhmm,"** Kurama hums.

'He's taunting me!' 

**"More like trying to cheer you up, kit,"**

"Thanks," I murmur. 

He grunts because of course he does. The little emo shit. 

We make our last right turn, entering the academy grounds. I count my steps and turns religiously. We walk in silence to our classroom, and I can already sense Iruka in there. Sasuke slides the door open gently, and lets me enter first before closing the door softly behind us.

"Hey, Naruto, Sasuke. Are you guys going to take the exam?" Iruka asks.

"Yeah." Sasuke answers. I give a sharp nod, a grim expression settled onto my face, contorting my mouth into a frown.

"Don't worry, you two. I'm sure that you'll pass with flying colors," Iruka compliments. 

'It's funny, he seems so at ease working as a teacher. It's like he's completely given up the part of him that laughed when I got beaten in a battle or fell into a river. It's like he's let himself into an early retirement. But, I guess the ANBU life isn't for everyone, it just seemed so right for him.' 

"Naruto?" Iruka asks. "You alright?" 

"Huh, yeah why?" I reply, cocking my head to the side.

"Ah, you were staring off into space for a minute, is all." Iruka replies

"Stop being such a kaa-san," I lightly tease. I hear Iruka scoff in embarrassment and denial.

"I am not your kaa-san, Uzumaki!" he shouts indignantly. Sasuke chuckles. Everything else goes quiet, the only sound is Sasuke's light laughter. 

'Laughing? Uchiha-gaki is laughing? How? When? For how long has he kept this anomaly from me?' I can sense Iruka trying to keep some form of a neutral expression, but he's definitely failing, whereas I openly gape like a fish out of water. Sasuke's laughter quiets.

"What?" he demands arrogantly, trying to save his pride. 

He never laughs, never! It reminds me a bit too much of the little kid running up and calling me "Kitsune-nii" almost exactly like he called his real big brother. It reminded me a bit too much of the kid that laughed nearly as loud as I did, once I started talking full time. It reminded me a bit too much of the side of Sasuke that only one outsider got to see, me.

"N-nothing, Uchiha," I stammer, trying to blink away the tears that have suddenly gathered in my eyes and hoping that no one notices.

"Is me laughing really that weird or something?" he asks angrily. "What? Am I not allowed to be human?" I turn to him, ignoring the fact that my eyes are probably a bit too shiny.

"Nope," I say, popping my "p." "It's not weird at all, just surprising. You actually sound like a normal kid when you laugh,"

"Tch, I'm not a kid," he scoffs.

"That's not what I meant. It's nice. You should laugh more often. Really," I plead, turning up the dramatics.

"Tch, dobe," Sasuke mutters in embarrassment. 

I laugh at his tone. Even without seeing his face, I can guess that his ears are pink with my slight praise. I don't know exactly know why, but when someone else tells him something, his reaction is a lot more mellow than when I tell him the same thing. Maybe he just respects my opinion more. 

'Psh, as if he actually respects anything about me. Honestly, I wouldn't either,' 

**"Kit, I agree, but don't be mean to yourself. Leave that to your village,"** Kurama scolds lightly.

Suddenly, there's a slight rumbling sound in the halls. I quickly widen my Sensory range, preparing for an attack. But no, it's just Sakura and Ino. I hope that my body didn't visibly tense up.

"Naruto, you should go to your seat," Iruka begs quickly. 

  
  


I nod and mutter a quick "hai" before rushing into my seat. I'm just in time, too, because the second I get into my seat, both girls rush in, yelling about how they were the first one in the room. I focus my Sensory as far as I can, trying to see Sasuke's reaction. It's something I've been practicing for a while, determining facial expression based on the contortions of the face. It takes a lot of concentration, though. He looks grim, and a bit scared. 

"Sakura-chan!" I call, standing up. She looks over at me.

"Are you going to give me your seat?" she asks sweetly, trying to persuade me into doing so. 

Iruka would drag me into the Forest of Death by force and leave me there if I did that, and I don't particularly feel like dying today. But, it would be funny to witness his reaction. Sasuke's reaction, too. I open my mouth to reply when I feel one of Sasuke's hands grab mine under the table. He holds my hand in a death-grip, as if begging me not to move.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan. Iruka-sensei would kill me," I respond shyly, scratching the back of my neck with my free hand. "I just wanted to say good morning,"

"Useless, Naruto-baka!" she screeches, immediately smacking me on my head. 

If I was myself, I would have dodged or blocked, but that isn't something the dead-last would do. Sasuke's fingers squeeze mine as I wince in pain. 'Odd, he usually is cold and aloof in front of the others, even if he acts like a friend to me otherwise.'

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

'What the hell am I doing?' I think as I squeeze Naruto's hand with my own. Naruto seems to be in pain because of that stupid banshee. I could just kill her. I shake my head to clear those thoughts away. Naruto sits back down and Sakura takes the seat right behind me, Ino next to her. I release Naruto's hand. I can't help but think that he looks a little sad as he glances down at his hand.

This probably has something to do with my dream from last night. It was odd, but for some reason, it felt more like a memory.

**Flashback no Jutsu**

I'm trying desperately to hit the target before me with a kunai, but I just can't. I'm really young, probably four or five. A young boy jumps down from a tree, making lots of noise to alert me to his presence. I look up sharply, meeting his eyes, one blue and the other violet. They sparkled with mischief and amusement, almost exactly like Itachi-nii's when I told him that I'd definitely be stronger than him.

"Who are you?" I ask accusingly, trying to seem smart and strong, despite my age.

"I can help you," he says a bit too quickly. Those eyes shine with fear for a moment, but I ignore it. I take him in a bit more carefully. His hair was blond with several scarlet streaks in it, like he died it, but for some reason, I doubt that he did. He's wearing a red t-shirt, showing off the several scars on his arms, and the long slit across his neck. He's wearing black ANBU style pants and black boots. He seems acceptable.

"Really?" I ask hopefully, internally cursing my inability to hide my emotions. He nods, grinning at me. I smile as well. "Then please do! I want to impress my nii-san!" His smile widens.

He comes and stands behind me, instructing me on how to throw the kunai more accurately. He stays with me, watching me practice for hours, throwing the occasional piece of advice my way.

"Sasuke!" I hear my mother's voice call. I begin to feel a bit scared. I mean, this older boy seemed okay, but we didn't even learn each other's names. Mother will probably be mad. "Here you are, dear," she says, sounding a bit breathless. I didn't mean to worry her. "Oh, Naruto-kun!" she exclaims. "How are you, hun?" she asks, as if she knows the other boy well.

"I'm alright, Mikoto-kaa-san. Just trying to help Sasuke-kun impress Itachi-nii." he replies. I stare at him, awestruck. He just called my mother "mom" and my big brother "big brother." How does he know my family, and why hadn't I met him before?

**Flashback no Jutsu End**

My mother had called that boy "Naruto-kun" and it's not like I misheard her or something. But that boy and the Naruto that I know now are nothing alike. I almost want to ask Naruto about it, but he would probably think that I'm stupid. Our other classmates file into the classroom gradually. I do my best to ignore Sakura and Ino. By eight o'clock, everyone is here. The others look nervous, but I make a strong effort not to be.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

By eight, everyone is inside the classroom. Nobody speaks, almost as if they're too nervous to do so. I can sense the tension in the room, even without my Sensory. Everyone is a bit stiff, even Sasuke, but I can tell that he's trying to appear as calm as possible. I'm probably the only one noticing his anxiety. Iruka makes his way to the front of the room.

"So, I suppose that I should start off by asking if all of you plan to take part in the exams. Everyone who wishes to leave, please raise your hand," he instructs. No one raises their hand. "Alright then, I guess we can begin. First of all, we'll have a written test. Don't panic, it's relatively easy. Second, you'll be taken to a secluded area by one of the academy instructors. You'll be tested on your taijutsu by sparring against an opponent, chuunin or higher. Lastly, you'll be tested on the three jutsus you were taught here in front of Mizuki-san and I. Are you all ready to begin?" After various nods, Iruka goes to grab the test sheets from his desk. I can sense that sympathetic glance he sends my way. A written exam that will be taken by a blind person. That's not ironic. "Begin." he commands after handing out the papers.

I put my finger on the corner of the page, sending massive amounts of chakra to it, and releasing the chakra in waves directly through the sheet. The only way that I can read or write requires extreme focus and ridiculously accurate Sensory. Sensing the way that the grain of the paper changed when a symbol had been written upon it. This is why all of my written reports are so late. It's too troublesome.

I carefully read each question before answering it in the designated space, being sure to keep my handwriting small and neat. Sasuke was the first to finish, Shikamaru and Sakura being a close second and third respectively. Soon enough, I was the last person in the room besides Iruka, and I was barely halfway through the test.

"Need help, Naru-chan?" Iruka asks softly. I scoff in reply.

"You know that I don't like to be made a cripple. I can do it myself. Plus, it'll only cement my place as dead-last," I reply sharply.

Iruka sighs and lets me get back to work. An hour and a half later, I'm finally finished. The last ten questions had been multiple choice, thank god. I huff exhaustedly, leaning back in my chair and pushing my test toward Iruka.

"Okay, Naru," Iruka says, grabbing my paper and looking over it. "Every question right. Want me to fake something?"

"Is someone besides people that I trust going to be seeing this?" I respond.

"No. Just in case, I meant," he murmurs. "To ensure that you don't get exposed,"

"No, it'll be fine," I scoff.

"Okay, then let's do your taijutsu exam. I've set stuff up so that you'll be going against Kakashi," Iruka grins.

I hum, following Iruka out the door. The others must just be waiting for their ninjutsu tests, because we hear talking and laughter coming from the room we're supposed to wait in until Iruka is ready. 

"That dead-last is probably going to fail again. What a weak loser," I hear. 

I flinch slightly. Iruka takes notice and sends me a worried look. I give him a gentle smile and nod slightly to say that I'm okay. 

'He seems to believe it, good.' 

**"Kit, why are you so intent on lying to your precious people?"** Kurama asks, slightly exasperated with me.

'Because, Kura. I want to protect them. They shouldn't have to worry about me, I'm okay,' 

Kurama huffs at me indignantly, but doesn’t continue the argument. We’ve had it a dozen times before, regarding a million tiny instances. From concealing my anxiety about how quickly I learned as a child to swallowing down every fear and stressful thing that I encounter even now. Kurama constantly worries about me.

Iruka leads me outside into the bright light. My face reacts instantly, squinting at the sun as a reflex I had to reprogram myself to have. I had to do and learn a lot simply to make it look like I can see just fine, when in fact, I am as blind as a bat. Quite literally as blind as a bat. I widen my Sensory range just to sense Kakashi-nii standing in the practice taijutsu circle, obviously waiting for me.

"Yo, Kakashi-nii!" I greet cheerfully, waving leisurely before letting my hand drop back to my side. I sense him nod. He's obviously quite apprehensive about fighting me. "So, do you want to actually fight, or are we just going to fake it?" 

"Naruto!" Iruka scolds. "You shouldn't fake test results. Maybe your makeup work, but not test results!"

"Who cares, we all know that I'll pass anyway?" I mutter.

"Oh yeah, then why did you try so hard on the written exam?" Iruka counters.

"To make things believable," I answer honestly.

"Then don't you want to make this seem 'believable' too?" Iruke argues.

I sigh dramatically. I have always hated doing unnecessary things. Sure, I wanted to prove myself to my new senseis at first, but I'm actually extremely lazy. If it has no merit, then why bother? 

'My god, I sound like a Nara! Why didn't you tell me, Kura?' 

**"Why the hell are you dragging me into this, Kit. Screw you!"**

'You wish you could,' is my immediate and instinctual response. 

After dealing with that insult from Team Scarecrow for so long, it's simply become an automatic response, no matter who you are. Kurama stays quiet due to embarrassment. I can feel it emanating from our mental link and bite back my self-satisfied grin.

"I don't really want to fight you, Naru-otouto-san, but I suppose that I can't let you cheat on your exams, now can I? I wouldn't be a very good onii-chan if I allowed cheating, ne otouto-kun?" Kakashi taunts. My eyes narrow dangerously. I do not like being looked down upon. Being treated like an invalid is definitely my worst pet-peeve.

"You wanna go, ass-face?" I ask menacingly. I can sense Kakashi flinch when I pop a knuckle on one of my fingers.

"Ready when you are, Naru-chan," he murmurs lowly. 

'I'm going to make him rue the day he was born. Should I do 10% or 15%, Kura?' 

**"Go twenty, kit. Make him really regret his life choices."** Kurama growls.

'Deal.'

When I ready myself to fight, everything shifts. It’s almost like I achieve a different headspace as Kurama’s and my own chakra well up to do my bidding. It isn’t quite Sage Mode, but everything seems sharper, more focused. 

I launch myself at him, not using my Hiraishin no jutsu, but appearing to be just as fast. My speed reached the point where I don't even need to use the Hiraishin, and I usually only do when I'm traveling long-distance or I'm being lazy. Within minutes, Kakashi is on the ground, battered and beaten, and I haven't even broken a sweat yet.

"You've been slacking, puppy," I scold in my "commander voice." He hadn’t even used his sharingan, a sure sign that he wasn’t putting his all into our battle.

"S-sor-sorry, t-taichou. P-p-please, d-don't kill m-m-me," Kakashi stutters while panting. 

'Ha, as if I'd kill him. He's too fun to screw around with,' 

**"Kit, are you sure that the snake woman isn't rubbing off on you?"** Kurama teases. 

'We both know that I'm way more sadistic than Anko-nee-chan, Kura-chan.'

"I won't kill an innocent puppy, but I should probably kill another ten minutes or so, at least. That ‘fight’ was too easy," I mock.

"Most of the kids were done with this part of the exam in under ten minutes, and Sasuke was done in under two minutes. If you want, we can just do a few laps around the building before going inside. It isn’t like any of the students will be paying enough attention to their surroundings to watch the windows," Iruka offers. 

"What? Don't you want to spend time with your boyfriend?" I tease. "Besides, I need to make it look like I struggled a bit," 

With a bit of focus, I alter my henge to make it look like I'm dirty and sweaty. "Good?" I ask. I can't exactly see myself, so I need to rely on these two idiots.

"Yep," Iruka chirps. I don't exactly trust him very much, but it's better than hearing such a chipper tone from Kakashi-baka. 

I sigh and sit down on the ground. I'm too tired to put up with my senseis being stupid. I had three missions last night. As commander of the ANBU, I have to put up with, "Taichou, I'm so tired, I can't possibly do this mission. Will you fill in for me?" on a very regular basis. I kind of want to fall asleep, but trusting these two with my unconscious body sounds like a mistake that I'm not willing to make.

"Why are you so tired? You're usually bursting with energy," Kakashi points out.

"Because I have to fill in for people when they prove unable to do a mission," I huff. "I had three missions last night alone," I can't help but notice how tired my voice sounds. 

It's a miracle that I've been able to maintain my cover like this. Although, if it continues much longer, I'll start having problems, especially since Sasuke is so close to becoming a ninja. I'll have to do missions with my genin team, maintain my cover flawlessly, keep my rank as commander, do ANBU missions, and continue my monthly meetings with Itachi, all without letting one of my responsibilities slip. I'm beginning to feel overwhelmed.

"Are you kidding?" Kakashi asks. 

I simply release my henge instead of replying. One of my eyes turns violet, scarlet streaks appear in my hair, I grow taller, my muscle mass increases, and my scars appear. But the most noticeable thing is how tired I look. My eyes are particularly dull, my skin is ashen and pale, and there are bags under my eyes. 

"You really aren't kidding me," Kakashi mumbles. I re-apply my henge. "This is ridiculous. You need to let go of some of your responsibilities, or you're going to kill yourself,"

"No," I mumble. "I refuse. At the moment, I know that I look like shit, but with Kurama I'm fine. No lasting damage. Hokage-sama knows what I'm doing and is forming a team to take on some of my ANBU responsibilities. For now, I'm just chakra exhausted and suffering from endless schedule complications,"

"He's a trooper, Kakashi," Iruka points out. "He'll push his limits to the max, but he knows when he can't continue to do so. He's smart, so let's just trust him to take care of himself,"

"Yeah," Kakashi agrees. "It's not like he's incapable or anything, and that isn't what I meant, either. You can't really blame me for being worried, can you?"

"No, I can't blame you for worrying, but if you keep worrying about me, your hair will turn gray instead of silver," I joke. I yawn. "Okay, I need to start moving or else I'm going to fall asleep."

"Yeah," Iruka agrees. "I think that enough time has passed now to make your 'struggle' seem believable, Naru-chan. Let's go back in," I nod, trying and failing to suppress another yawn. 

In front of my peers, I'll need to act flawlessly despite my exhaustion. I plaster a huge grin on my face as we walk back toward the building. I instinctively keep my Sensory range to the bare minimum, relying mostly on my other senses to guide me. I'm so tired that doing things this way truly is necessary.

We enter the building again and make our way to the classroom that the others are in. Everyone gets quiet at our entry. 

"That dead-last is gonna fail again." I hear. I don't let my grin falter, though, as I move to sit next to Sasuke. No one questions why I do because everyone knows that Iruka can't stand Sakura and Ino's squealing.

"Alright, now that everyone has finished the first two parts of the exam, it's time to move onto the third, ninjutsu," Iruka instructs. "I'll bring you to the room that Mizuki will be waiting in for us. You'll perform the three jutsus you've been taught to the best of your ability. Everyone ready?" The response is some excited, albeit a bit nervous, shouts. "Okay, come with me when I call your name," Iruka then starts off by calling the first person starting with the beginning of the alphabet.

I turn to Sasuke. "Think you'll pass, teme?" I ask. I'm truly interested in his response. I'm curious to know if he'll be shy and humble or arrogant and cocky. His response will tell me a lot of how I'll have to deal with him in the future.

"I'm not too worried about it," Sasuke replies hesitantly. "But I'm a little nervous, I guess," His voice drops low at the end, as if he's embarrassed about feeling a normal human emotion again. 

At the moment, Sakura and Ino are too busy bickering to notice their precious Sasuke's embarrassment. 

'He's a lot like Itachi and Shisui. I bet he'd kill me if I tried to compare him to his brother, though.'

Kurama snickers loudly.

"Don't be nervous," I instruct. "You'll be fine. You know what you're doing. You have skill, talent, and brains. That doesn't mean that being a shinobi will be easy, but it does mean that becoming one will be all the more simple," I allow some of my mask to drop a bit as I tell him this. I act seriously, not like the joker he thinks I am. It's just to ease him, but honestly, dropping my act for even a second is a relief.

"Yeah," he sighs. "You nervous?" Sasuke asks.

"A little," I murmur. "I had a bit of a hard time with the written exam,” technically not a lie, “and my taijutsu was definitely less than perfect,” there’s always room for improvement, “but I can hope," I appear as if I'm having a hard time remaining cheerful, and I can sense Sasuke's lips quirk up in a sympathetic half-smile.

"I'm sure that you'll pass," he says, discreetly trying to cheer me up. 

"You know, it's kind of odd," I point out. I can sense him raise an eyebrow at me. "It's almost like we're friends, teme," I joke lightly.

"Tch, as if, dobe," Sasuke huffs teasingly in response.

After that, we wait in silence, and the only sound is the vague white noise of nervous chatter from our peers. Every few minutes, Iruka comes in and calls a name. He takes that student to their last test, and a while later, they come back in looking either relieved or terrified. Eventually, he comes in and calls Sasuke's name. I give Sasuke a small smile and a whisper of "good luck" as he goes off. I pay close attention and sense his lips quirk up a bit. It's nice to know that I can get more than anger and sympathy out of him.

I turn off the majority of my sensory again, scolding myself for overdoing it a bit.

**“Yeah, come on, kit! You have to be more careful!”** Kurama gripes.

‘I know, I know, my bad!’ I grin.

In just over a minute, Sasuke and Iruka come back in. Iruka calls my name. I stand up and as I walk passed Sasuke, I hear him murmur "good luck" in response to my well wishes. I grin a bit to myself, but I wipe the look off my face as I join Iruka. We exit the classroom without another word, and Iruka noiselessly passes me some papers.

I struggle to read and walk, but I get the general gist of it. Sasuke passed. That means that I'll have to pass as well, but that won't be a problem. I'll have to dial back since Mizuki will be there, and I'd need to make it look believable anyway. We enter another classroom, and I sense Mizuki sitting roughly in the center of the room.

"Okay, Naruto," Iruka starts as we get to the front. I position myself in front of my senseis, facing them, as Iruka sits. "First, you'll perform the Transformation Jutsu. Next, the Body Replacement Technique. Lastly, the Clone Jutsu. Ready?" I force myself to wince when the Clone Jutsu is said, as it is my worst jutsu. I nod to signal that I'm good to go.

"Alright, Naruto. You can begin," Mizuki says softly.

'Kura, who should I transform into?' 

**"I don't know kit!"** Kurama shouts.

'Kurama, give me an answer, or I'm going to start crying,’

**"Ugh, uh, fine. Transform into Minato!"** the fox demon suggests.

'Give me a mental image,' 

Kurama does as I ask, giving me a flawless mental image, un-distorted by time or forgetfulness. I immediately perform the necessary hand sign. I hear a poof, and by the smug look on Iruka's face, I did it perfectly. I give a cocky smirk, which must look weird on my father's face, and perform the Body Replacement Technique, replacing myself with the desk behind me. Then, I perform the Clone Jutsu, creating four flawless copies of myself. The clones of my father and I take a bow and I reverse the jutsu.

I sense Mizuki gaping like a fish at me. So much for making things relatively believable. Suddenly, he breaks into a grin. He nods respectfully at me, impressed that I managed to do the jutsus okay. Iruka stands and leads me out of the classroom.

"Minato-sama, huh?" Iruka asks curiously. "A cocky smirk doesn't really fit his face," he chuckles.

"Yeah," I sigh. "It was Kura's idea. You know how hard of a time I can have deciding the simplest things sometimes."

"It's funny, Naru. You can decide instantly what to do in a crisis, but picking a restaurant turns into a big ordeal," Iruka laughs.

"Yeah, yeah." I pout. "My IQ is just too high. I'm fine in crisis situations, and I actually prefer burying myself into my work, but when it comes to simple things, I get easily upset," I pause. I don't usually mention the incident, but I feel like I have to right now. 

"Ever since the incident, I've had a really hard time being normal. It's like the training was my way of coping. I never really learned how to handle a hard situation. When the Uchiha clan were massacred, I just kind of threw myself into my duties. I had to put a smile on my face the morning after my world turned upside down. Tsunade-baa-chan says that it isn't healthy, but it's all I know."

Iruka is quiet. Really quiet. This is why I don't usually talk about these things. It makes my friends feel awkward to hear me talking like I've seen all the horrors the world has to offer. I guess in a way, I have. It's odd for them to hear me speak so maturely.

"Sorry," I mutter.

"Why are you sorry, Naru?" Iruka replies. "You don't need to be. It was hard for all of us. Giving up Shisui and Itachi hurt all of us. We all kind of suck at coping with hard times. Kakashi sits at the Monument for hours and hours on end. I put on a smile and pretend to be happy for my students and my team. Anko takes her frustrations out on her next victim. It's not healthy, but none of us know another way to cope,”

“We need to do what's expected of us. We need to always put up a brave front for the village and for Hokage-sama and each other. If we cry, we do it alone. If we sleep, it ends in nightmares. Because we're Team Kitsune, we're perfect and lead by Kitsune-sama himself. We suffer alone in the dark because we've seen far too much. We witnessed war in times of peace, gruesome acts of hate against children, and honestly, there's pretty much nothing that we haven't seen. But the village needs a hero, and you are that hero, we're only there to have your back when you need it." Iruka smiles, locking eyes with me.

I'm silent, stunned. I honestly didn't think of it that way. I just buried myself in my work to be productive and hide from the pain and sadness. Iruka's right, though. We all do it. We put on a brave face because we don't have another option. It's the only choice. We do the hard thing and ignore our pain to help others and protect our village. It's bittersweet, I guess. I nod wordlessly.

We reach the door to the classroom and enter. I struggle a bit with hiding my misty eyes from my classmates, but I manage. Iruka calls Ino to come with him and they exit the room.

"The dead-last probably failed again," I hear Sakura whisper less than quietly as I move to sit next to Sasuke again. Kiba laughs in response. 

I nearly tense up. I nearly let my cover drop. Nearly. I'm so close to hitting someone right now that my hands shake a bit in anticipation. I don't even know what's got me so triggered. Maybe it was the discussion I'd just had with Iruka. Maybe it was the scar hidden on my stomach. Maybe it was the stress from being undercover as an idiot for so long while maintaining my position and responsibilities as ANBU commander. Hell, it could even be the problems Danzo has been causing lately. I very nearly hit someone. 

Instead, I sit down and put my head on my arms, resting on the desk. Iruka leaves with Ino. I close my eyes. I so desperately want to give into my exhaustion, but my training prevents me from doing so. 

'Not in public. Not where you could be hurt,' my mind echoes. 

I'm so close to crashing. I haven't slept in a few days, and I really need to sleep, but I have more missions tonight. Plus, I'll be working full-time during the slight break while the freshly-minted genin get assigned to squads. I'm so tired. I could honestly fall asleep right here, right now, but I force myself to focus. I use my Sensory to comb over the village. I widen my range to scan outside the village, looking for possible intruders, but there are none. I may be lacking in the acting department right now because of my irritation, but at least I'm being productive.

The door slides open. Iruka and Ino enter. I can see them perfectly, every detail, because I'm focusing my Sensory so much. 

"Alright. Give us thirty minutes for deliberation about who passes. We'll give you the results soon," Iruka announces. I sense him give me a worried look, and I sense the discrete glances Sasuke keeps sending my way. I don't really understand why they seem so worried. I'm just tired, that's all. Tired and frustrated. I really want to drop my act, but if I did, Hokage-sama would kill me. 

'But shouldn't you continue to put on a brave face?' I try, but I simply can't. I'm too tired, too stressed, too overwhelmed.

"Dobe," Sasuke mutters. I resist the urge to growl at him. "You alright?" he asks. He actually does sound worried.

I hum and raise my head a bit, opening my eyes, to look at Sasuke. I sense his eyes widen just a fraction.

"Close your eyes again," he instructs warily. I do as he says, a bit cautious.

"Why are you disturbing my nap if you're just going to tell me to close my eyes again, Uchiha-teme?" I ask, trying to sound good-natured when in fact, I'm digging for answers. What exactly made him so wary the moment I opened my eyes?

"One of your eyes is violet and I don’t think that’s supposed to happen," he hisses. 

My eyes open and widen, and I quickly turn my head down to hide my eyes. 

'Kurama, is my henge failing or something?' I ask. No answer. That damn fox must be asleep. 'Shit.' I gently remove one of my hands from the table and form a sign to help focus my chakra. I silently mouth, "kai" and pray to kami that my henge renews itself. Keeping my eyes open, I turn to Sasuke a bit, an eyebrow raised. 

"Still purple. What the hell?" he murmurs.

"Shit," I hiss. 

'Not good, not good, not good. My cover is practically blown. Kurama! KURAMA!' 

**"What, Naru?"** he replies tiredly. 

'Tell me why the hell my henge is failing on my eye. Right now. Figure this out. What's going on?' I’m panicking, definitely, and I can sense Kurama wince and block his emotions off from mine, splitting our endless emotional feed loop temporarily.

**"We both knew that your Uzumaki blood would awaken eventually. You have a dormant eye power residing in that eye, which is why that eye is violet. It’s one of the analytical dojutsu mimics. If your henge won't hide it anymore, then that means that your chakra is just having some growing pains, like when you were younger. It’s about that biological time anyway for you humans. I doubt you’ll be able to hide it with a simple henge, maybe with a strong enough genjutsu,"** Kurama explains.

'Shit, you're kidding me! Please tell me that you're just joking!' When I was little, these stupid chakra flares were fine because I didn’t have to hid my entire identity.

**"I'm not, kit. There's nothing I can do either,"** Kurama says, vaguely empathetic.

"Sasuke," I murmur.

"What's going on?" he replies quietly. So far, no one has noticed us yet, but with Sasuke's fangirls getting antsy, that won't last long. 

"I can't tell you," I respond. "Can you just pretend that nothing has changed?" I ask. I have no idea whether he'll help me or not, but I have to try. I simply don't have the chakra to perform the level of genjutsu needed to hide my eye. I’m too tired for that, and a chakra manifestation dojutsu mimic is not the sharingan.

"Fine," he mutters. "What are you going to do about the others, though? They'll surely ask questions. Your eyes are blue, and everyone knows that, despite your incessant squinting,"

"I'll keep my head down as long as possible and keep my eyes closed when I can't. And I don’t squint!" I whisper-shout.

"Alright. I'll walk you home so that you won't have to deal with the questions. Someone will probably try to screw with you after the announcements," he murmurs.

"Sasuke, you don't—" I start. 

Sasuke interrupts me with, "And I want an explanation in return," 

I pause and consider his offer. It would surely help if he walked me home, since our classmates will almost definitely harass me about passing, though Sasuke probably thinks that someone will try to bully me for failing. Could I give away the information? I mean, it's practically blowing my cover! It's dangerous, but manageable if I play it smart. But when was the last time I was smart?

"Okay," I accept, and immediately mentally smack myself.

The door slides open again. "Alright. We're decided," Iruka chirps. He sees that my head is still down, but turned because I was talking to Sasuke. He gives me a curious glance, but ignores it for now. 

"Let's get started. Those who passed are..." Iruka starts listing off the people who passed in alphabetical order. Whenever someone didn't pass, they grumbled to themselves about trying harder next year. There’s a surprising amount of those who didn’t pass this time around. 

"Next, Uchiha Sasuke," Cue screaming fangirls. "Uzumaki Naruto," 

I stand up, grinning so wide that my eyes close and use Sensory to find my way to Iruka and accept my hitai-ate. Maybe I do squint? 

'I'll have to give this back.' I think, but then I sense the genjutsu on the hitai-ate he hands me. I can vaguely sense my own chakra on the hitai-ate. How’d he snatch it from my room? I turn my face upwards, grinning at him and move to stand next to Sasuke. I keep smiling, keeping my eyes closed tightly. 

"And last, but surely not least, Yamanaka Ino," he concludes warmly. "The rest of you can leave now. Good luck next year," 

As the other students that didn't pass file out of the classroom, Iruka turns to face us. 

"Okay, my new genin. Wednesday, you'll need to report to the Hokage Tower to get your file picture taken. Next Monday, I expect you all here at 9 a.m. sharp to receive your team assignments. Other than that, you're all free to go. Get home safely," Everyone moves en masse towards the door, grinning and smiling happily, jeering and shoving each other. 

"Naruto, hold up a second," Iruka calls out last-minute. Sasuke, hearing Iruka’s request of me, stops at the door to presumably wait for me. I turn back to Iruka.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, did you wait just for little old me?" Sakura asks sweetly, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, trying desperately to be flirtatious.

"Nope," Sasuke grimaces. I try my best not to laugh at his plight that Iruka unknowingly caused and cough into my fist.

"Oh," she murmurs in disappointment. "Who are you waiting for, then?" she asks, sounding jealous.

"The dobe" Sasuke supplies.

"Naruto-baka?" Sakura screeches as I make my way back over to Iruka. I can sense Iruka wince.

"I didn't know that you were hanging out with Sasuke today, Naruto," Iruka states, sounding sort of uncomfortable. 

I wordlessly open both of my eyes. If Iruka hadn't been trained so well, I'm sure that he would have gasped in shock. My henge has never failed me before, though I wasn’t wearing a henge throughout the worst of my chakra growth during my childhood. 

"He offered to walk you home in exchange for answers, then?" Iruka assumes. I nod. 

_"Your cover,"_ Iruka signs discreetly.

"I'll play it smart, kaa-san," I whisper in response. "I'll be with Hokage-sama at seven-ish. Why don't you come see me?" Iruka wordlessly nods. Code for: "I'll explain later." I move back toward the door, back to Sasuke, closing my eyes in an apparent thoughtful manner.

"Naruto-baka!" Ino and Sakura scream simultaneously. I wince slightly at their loudness. With my advanced senses, their screeching really hurts my ears. It’s the only time I dislike being a jinchuuriki. Besides the torture.

"Y-yeah?" I stutter slightly, trying to act surprised without opening my eyes.

Kurama starts laughing at my expense and I proceed to seamlessly tune him out in annoyance.

"Why would you dare to spend time with my precious Sasuke-kun?" Sakura screeches, pushing herself past Ino to get in my face. I lean backwards a bit, feeling my back pop. So satisfying.

'Maybe having Sasuke walk me home wasn't the best idea after all,' 

**"Kit, deal with them like you do Danzo. Hate them, but make sure that they're satisfied. It's time to act even more,"** Kurama growls. 

'I knew you'd say that. That doesn't mean that I have to like it though. I just need to do my duty,' I sigh on the inside. 

"Ah, were you two looking to spend time with him instead?" I ask meekly. I open my eyes and lower my chin, nearly acting subservient. 

'Kami, kill me. This is attracting way more attention to my situation than I wanted it to.'

"Yes, I was, baka!" Sakura yells indignantly.

"O-oh. I'm so sorry!" I murmur, my eyes widening and my head lowering further.

**“Way to turn up the dramatics, kit!”** Kurama cheers.

"What's wrong with your eye, Naruto?" Ino asks softly. Unlike Sakura, Ino isn't completely obsessed with Sasuke. If I had to be on a team with one of them, it would be Ino.

I reach up and touch the area underneath my eye hesitantly. 

'This is going to be a problem,' My mind screams in abject panic. ‘Wow. I’m such a good ANBU commander,’ 

"Nothing." I say a bit too quickly. "I'm really sorry for the trouble, Sakura-chan, Ino-chan, but I asked Sasuke if he could help me with something really important today, and it can't be postponed. Could I trouble you two for a postponement of your plans? After all, Sasuke-san was kind enough to grant me his help," I duck my head even further and do my best to ignore everyone's stunned expressions. 

‘Gag me.’ I think sharply. Kurama just howls in laughter.

Most of our graduating class had yet to file out of the room with the fuss Sakura and Ino were making. It takes way too much effort to keep from laughing my ass off at my own expense right then and there.

"Sure thing, Naruto," Sakura says slowly. Ino's eyes widen and she nods quickly, pulling Sakura out the door with her. Sasuke watches them leave, and then turns towards me with an absolutely bewildered look on his face.

"Ready?" I ask quietly, as if trying to avoid the spotlight that had suddenly landed on me with my behavior. Sasuke nods dumbly, his mouth contorted into a grim frown. I exit the room, Sasuke trailing behind me.

We walk in silence. It's not a comfortable quiet, it's excruciatingly awkward. Sasuke seems to be thinking about something, and I'm simply trying to come up with a believable excuse for my eye, which is tightly closed again. I count my steps, pushing down my unease.

‘Why did Hokage-sama make me the commander of the ANBU again?’

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

It just didn't make any sense. That's not how Naruto acts. That purple eye, though. What if that dream I had truly was a memory like I suspected. If that was the case, then why was Naruto's hair blond. Did he dye it? If so, why? 

Also, he's the one who taught me how to throw a kunai in the first place, so why is he so terrible at it now? The Naruto from back then was seemingly smart, not to mention a year or so older than me. 

'This is all so confusing. I'm going to have to ask him about it and hope that I'm right.'

Naruto takes a right and I move to follow him, but as I round the corner, I nearly run into Naruto's back. I nearly ask him what the hold-up is, until I see a few guys, bats in hand, in front of a run-down apartment building. The guys all look over at once, sneers on their faces.

"Hey there, demon-brat!" one of the guys calls. "We heard you killed another villager, you monster!"

"We've come to give you retribution!" the second shouts.

"Don't use such big words, he probably doesn't understand them," the third guy jeers. My eyes narrow instinctively. 'Why the hell would they say this stuff to Naruto?' I move to step out from behind Naruto and put these assholes back in their places. I'd never really realized how tall Naruto was until now. He brings a hand up to his chest, forming a sign. He doesn't say anything. There's a 'poof' and suddenly, that isn't Naruto standing there.

A boy at least a head and a half taller than me stands in front of me. His hand falls back to his side. He has blond hair with red streaks. I can't see his face, but I know that it's him. The Naruto from my memories is back. The guys all move towards Naruto, bats raised. Naruto moves too fast for my eyes to catch, disarming each man flawlessly. He raises his right hand, fingers splayed, and murmurs "shinra tensei" nearly too quiet for me to hear. The men collapse to their knees, looking frightened.

"I swear to Kami-sama," he growls dangerously. 

There’s a dark undertone, almost like another, deeper voice, speaking along with Naruto, striking terror into me. He walks behind them, and shows me his face. His violet and cerulean eyes glow dangerously and he has a deadly look on his face. His features are more angular, and he clearly has more muscle mass. 

"I couldn't care less if you attack me, but I swear, you ever come to me looking for a fight with Uchiha-san near again, and you won't escape alive," his voice is harsh, dangerous. He looks ready to kill, looking every part a deadly, trained shinobi. "Remember who I am and who I house. You'd do well not to make me mad. And if you had harmed him," he stops, laughing maniacally. "I can promise that I'll break every bone in your body and watch you bleed out slowly. Spread the message." 

The men take off running the second that they're free from whatever jutsu Naruto used. They run for their lives and they don't look back. I gape at Naruto. He looks up at me, and his features immediately soften. I can't help but think that he looks a little guilty. His eyes are duller than they were with the henge. He gives me a bitter smile, looking a bit rueful.

"So, you had some questions for me?" he asks sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.

"I think I have more now," I respond honestly, slowly.

"That's understandable. I'll answer as many of them as I can. Now come on. This part of town isn’t exactly the best, ya know?" Naruto chuckles nervously. 

Naruto takes my hand in his and pulls me along behind him into the run-down apartment building. I’m struck sharply with the image of my mother, pulling me with her while shopping for groceries. Naruto acts as if he was leading a little kid. 

'Isn't he? I am younger than him, aren't I?' 

Naruto leads me to a door with a broken lock. He roughly shoves the door open, forcing the door jamb to unstick, and rushes inside, tugging me along behind him. He lets go of my hand and turns, slamming the door closed as the door frame creaks and groans. One might think he was angry, but I know that he isn't.

Naruto turns toward me. His gaze is soft and he has a small smile adorning his face. He's completely unlike the rebellious idiot I deal with every day. This is Naruto-kun, who my mother called "hun" and who called my parents and brother as if they were his. My breath catches soundlessly in my throat. 

I really hate this feeling. I feel helpless in a good way. It's nearly like I'm sitting in the living room with my parents waiting for nii-san to come home. I haven't felt this vulnerable since before "nii-san" killed our entire family. I scowl at Naruto, but he doesn't seem fazed in the slightest, another sign that he's well used to my family.

"Fire away, Sasuke," Naruto says cheerily, moving past me and into the kitchen. I follow, albeit a bit angrily.

"Did you know my family?" I ask. 

'Why was that my first question? That’s a stupid first question!'

"Yes, I did," Naruto answers easily. He must have assumed that I was going to ask this. "Your parents, Mikoto-kaa-san and Fugaku-tou-san, were my godparents. Well, one set of them anyway."

"How old are you?" 

"14,"

"Did you teach me how to throw a kunai when I was young?"

Naruto's eyes widen momentarily. "Yes. I didn’t know you remembered that,"

"If my parents were your godparents, why did I never know about it?"

"Itachi-nii didn't want you to know until you were older. Kami-sama knows why,"

"Why did you enter the academy in my grade instead of the one above me, where you should've been?" I ask.

"To protect you. People are shady and the sharingan are definitely coveted by some of the worst of them, so yeah," 

"How strong are you?"

"I'm the dead-last of the class, Sas," Naruto raises an eyebrow.

"That's not an answer," I huff.

"Yes it is," Naruto pouts.

"Fine, don't lie to me,"

Naruto groans, dragging a hand over his face. He fixes a tired gaze on me. "Stronger than you think, okay?"

"Why is your eye violet?"

"A dojutsu mimic, I think. The henge I obviously wear stopped hiding it because it’s a convenient plot device in the disaster that is my life,"

"Why do you wear that henge?"

"To keep the identity of my parents from being known. Kumogakure no Sato hated them, and if the Kumo nins found out who I am, it could technically start a war, which isn’t ideal,"

"Who were your parents?"

"That's confidential."

"Does it look like I care?"

Naruto sighs. "Namikaze Minato and Namikaze-Uzumaki Kushina."

"The Fourth Hokage was your dad?"

"Unfortunately,"

"You called my brother Itachi-nii. You do realize that he's the one that killed everybody, right?"

Naruto flinches harshly. He looks away and stares at his feet. "Yes, I do," he says softly. His shoulders shake just a tiny bit, as if he's trying to hold back tears. Alarm bells go off in my head.

"Why do you refer to him so fondly then?" I ask tentatively.

"Because—" Naruto starts. He cuts himself off as his head whips up to look at me. He has tears on his cheeks. "Nevermind," he murmurs, looking down again. A few more tears work their way down his cheeks.

‘Oh no, oh no, oh no!’ Naruto’s tears are absolutely tragic.

"Sorry," I mutter.

"It's fine. I overreacted," he sniffs, quickly wiping his face with his hands.

"Why did you act like that with Sakura and Ino?" I ask after a moment.

"I didn't feel like dealing with their fangirliness," Naruto shrugs. 

He must've been expecting that one too. I sigh. I don't have anymore questions for him. Everything he said made sense. Something feels left unfinished. 

"Nothing else?" Naruto questions. I shake my head solemnly.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

'That's a relief.' 

**"Yeah. You totally lost your cool there, but at least it distracted him from that line of questioning,"** Kurama grunts.

'That is a plus.' 

"Do you want tea or anything?" I ask Sasuke. I do still try to have pride as a host, despite my dilapidated house itself.

"No, I'm fine," Sasuke sighs. "I should probably get going anyway. You look like you need some sleep," he chuckles. 

Blood rushes to my face as I realize that yes, my henge is removed, and yes, I probably look like total shit. Enough like shit that Kakashi and Iruka were sympathetic and worried. Whoopsie. Sasuke laughs at the look that's surely on my face.

"What?" I growl. "Do I look that bad or something?" I mutter, my voice dropping in embarrassment.

"Yeah. You look like you haven't slept in weeks," Sasuke chuckles. The look on his face is pretty amusing, from what I can sense. I turn my gaze away as my face heats up even more.

"If you're just going to stand there laughing at me, then maybe you should leave," I mumble angrily.

"Hey, hey, I'm kidding," he whines. I raise an eyebrow at him. He's rarely ever so expressive. "Maintaining a henge all the time must be exhausting." Sasuke's laughter is finally gone, but I notice that he isn't meeting my gaze. He's looking at his feet, a thoughtful frown on his face. I raise my eyebrow again. 

"It's not really that bad," I mutter. Sasuke looks up at me. "I just haven't slept in like, a week and a half," I try, and fail, to suppress a yawn.

I've been told that I look adorable when I yawn, so I try to avoid doing it in front of people. Sasuke doesn't comment on my cuteness. 

'Maybe this Uchiha isn't as stupid as the others.' 

**"I honestly doubt that, kit. He's probably just trying to save face,"**

"Then I'm right," Sasuke deadpans. I raise an eyebrow again. It feels like I'm doing a lot of that lately. "You're tired, so you should sleep. That means that I should leave," 

I laugh. "Your logic is odd, but I can see how you would think that," I mumble, trying to calm my laughter at Sasuke's obvious distaste for my laughing at him. "I've gone longer without sleep. This is nothing. Absolutely nothing,"

"Who are you trying to convince, me or yourself?" Sasuke counters. 

"Ha, you make a good point, Uchiha-gaki," I chuckle. 

'It's not like I can tell him that whenever I'm home, I'm too scared to go to sleep because I might not wake up again. Damn thugs breaking in,'

"Then I do have another question for you, Naruto," Sasuke states.

"Oh?" I question. Sasuke nods. "Fire away, then,"

"Why are you trying to avoid sleeping?" he asks. My eyes widen reflexively. "And be honest," 

My heart drops into the pit of my stomach. 

'Well, shit. I’m a terrible liar,' 

**"That's what you get, kit. You were all cocky before, but you can't exactly refuse him, can you?"**

'There's no way out of this, is there? I'll just have to make it seem like nothing,'

"Someone might break in while I'm sleeping," I shrug. "It's been happening a lot lately. People suck, oh well," I sense Sasuke's eyes widen.

"Are you scared that someone is going to hurt you?" he asks. I can tell by his voice that he's being a bit hesitant and apprehensive.

"Eh, it's happened before, so it wouldn’t surprise me," I mutter, trying to act like it's not really anything to worry about.

"Then I'll stay here," Sasuke says in a matter-of-fact-tone.

"What?" I ask, astounded.

"I'll stay here while you sleep and make sure that nothing happens. You need sleep, Naruto," Sasuke explains.

"I couldn't ask that of you, Sasuke," I say quickly. "I'll probably stay with Jii-san for a little while or something."

"That, or you're just trying to get me off your back and continue depriving yourself of sleep," he counters.

"Oh, yeah, I would totally do that," I shoot back sarcastically.

‘I would totally do that,’

"I think that you would," Sasuke counters.

‘So correct, and so pretty too,’

"I really wouldn't because I'm not someone to refuse help when I need it, but I don't need it, because I can take care of myself, y'know. So are you just going to keep offering me help that I don't need or are you going home. I thought you wanted to go home. My place doesn't have any tomatoes y'know. I'm fine, believe it." I say quickly. 

I start rapid-fire talking, not really paying too much attention to what exactly is coming out of my mouth. But then again, I don't really care. My rapid-fire speech is a nearly foolproof diversion technique.

It works even on Sasuke. He's quickly offering to leave and give me some much needed peace and quiet, looking extremely confused. I sigh and lean heavily against the door. 

'I'm so glad that my diversion technique worked on him. He was getting way too close to something important.' 

**"That's playing it smart, kit?"**

'Not exactly. I kind of metaphorically threw that idea out of the metaphorical window when I removed my henge to deal with those pricks. I can't believe that they'd pick a fight with Sasu-chan right there.' 

**"Fight? Really, that's what you call it? It's more like a one-sided smackdown. They always hurt you, and you say that it's your duty to put up with it. It isn't your duty. Your duty is to protect them from me and keep yourself alive. I know what you're going to retort, that it's also your duty to protect the little Uchiha, but it isn't. I understand that he's dear to you, but to me, you are always going to be more important. You'll always be more important to me than anybody else."**

'Kurama, I know that. Whether you like it or not, my duty is to protect my village. To protect their lives with my own, to protect their hearts, to cleanse their minds and put them at ease, that is my duty. The "one-sided smackdown" that I endure, as you so eloquently put it, is to allow them to vent their frustrations. Yes, it's an irresponsible and naïve way to vent their anger, but it's better than an alternative of someone else getting hurt or killed. I know that you hate having to heal me, and I'm sorry. I have you, though. I have a way to survive despite all the odds being stacked against me. I'm sorry that I'm so selfish to put you through all of this, but I want to be a second sun to my village. If I pretend long enough, I will gradually become who I've always wanted to be.' 

**"Kit, I know how you feel. I know better than you do sometimes. You just haven't realized that you already are who you want to be. You're strong, smart, and you always keep a smile, no matter what. If only you realized how much you've grown. I remember the little boy who couldn't utter a single word, preaching about teaching the people to live with everyone else in mind.”**

**“You were once a kid who could never dream of killing anyone. You've changed so much. You still have that bright dream, but you also have this incredibly strong urge to protect your loved ones, even if it means someone has to die. You changed me. Just listening to your thoughts day-by-day before having met you, I became less angry. I became more understanding. You already are a second sun to your village. It's their fault if they don't see it."**

'Thank you, Kurama.' I think softly.

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	12. In Sickness and In Health

**Chapter 12 - In Sickness and In Health**

**Author's Note: This chapter is mostly some interesting plot info, but it's pretty short. I'm not even sorry. I am sorry if I haven't replied to everyone's comments. I do try, but I tend to lose some in my massive influx of notifications. Thank you all for your support.**

**Editor’s Note: Just a little note, this chapter reintroduces some more foul language, so if that isn’t your cup of tea, maybe avoid the parts where Naruto starts getting really peeved. Literally why do I think these chapters are short? Some of them are massive! Also, I have not made it a priority to reply to comments in so long! I mean, I’ve read all of them (probably), but sometimes, there just aren’t any good responses! I kind of wish that you could like or react to comments instead. Oh well, come see me on platforms that do allow meaningless forms of communication by following the links in my bio! Or maybe purchase yourself some fun things at Quintessential Ideas, my Redbubble shop (link is also in my bio)!**

**Chapter 12**

**Third Person P.O.V.**

At the Konoha shinobi academy, a certain classroom is crowded with 26 students, some of which being the one and only Uchiha Sasuke, with his fangirls Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino, who are joined by Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, and Inuzuka Kiba. Despite the chatter in the room, things are abnormally quiet. Without the blond jinchuuriki in the room, things seemed a bit darker and a bit quieter. 

Most of the freshly-minted genin weren't worried that the idiotic blond wasn't there yet. A few in the class, however, were worried about the boy. Namely Sasuke, Hinata, and Ino. 

Hinata was worried because she didn't want Naruto to miss any important information. If he did, she would certainly try her best to relay it to him, hopefully without the appearance of her dreaded stutter. 

Ino was worried because on the day of the graduation exam, Naruto had been acting out of character. Not only that, but one of his eyes was violet! He did say it was nothing, but Ino's dad had always told her to be nice to the blond. She'd never listened to his advice and now felt that she really should have. 

Sasuke was worried because he knew that Naruto hadn't been sleeping. After leaving, Sasuke kept thinking and realized that he had more questions for Naruto and went to find the jinchuuriki several times over the week. His attempts had been fruitless.

The door slides open and Iruka enters. He quickly scans the room, his ANBU training kicking in as he counted everyone in the room and made mental notes of their weaknesses should any of them attack. By now, this was simply second nature for the ex-ANBU. 

The room quickly quiets down, Sakura and Ino seating themselves on either side of Sasuke. Iruka takes note of the fact that Naruto isn't in the room. Iruka quickly activates his Sensory, which is a learned skill taught to him by the jinchuuriki. He doesn't sense Naruto's chakra in the village. Iruka sighs.

‘I guess Naruto must’ve gotten delayed with some random duty. Have I seen him at all in the past week?’ Iruka asks himself.

"Alright class, since Naruto is late, we'll begin without him. Let's hope he bothers to show up, ne?" Iruka announces. His last statement got a few chuckles out of the class. That was good because they had all looked a bit tense before. 

"I'll begin by saying congratulations once more. You all are officially ninja. I promise, though, the road will not be easy. Being a shinobi isn't a game. This lifestyle is how people die, and I hate to say it, but at least one of you in this room will die on a mission before becoming a jonin,” Iruka’s explanation was met with solemn silence. This particular group of children had all lost family members during the fateful Kyuubi attack, something none of them had even been alive for. 

“Being a shinobi isn't easy. Just because you come from a clan with a powerful name doesn't mean that you can slack off. Being a shinobi requires hard work and unshakable morals. Sometimes, you'll encounter situations where it's kill or be killed. The world is a dark, frightening place sometimes. Be prepared,” he finishes with the darker part of his prepared speech and takes a deep breath, refocusing on the task at hand.

“With that said, I'll give you your team assignments. You all will be assigned into three-man squads with a practiced jonin as your new sensei. Try not to cause too much trouble for them," Iruka starts listing off squads, hoping that Naruto will arrive before he reaches team 7. 

"Team 7 is," But he doesn't. Iruka still can't sense Naruto's chakra in the village. "Uzumaki Naruto," An awkward silence fills the air. Someone points out that Naruto still isn't here, but Iruka pays them no mind as he continues. "Haruno Sakura," The aforementioned girl groans in annoyance. "Uchiha Sasuke," The pinkette is quick to squeal in delight. Iruka continues assigning teams, still searching for Naruto's chakra. 

"Alright," Iruka says when finished. "Have some lunch and come back. Your jonin senseis will pick you up here. Oh, and team 7?" Sasuke and Sakura perk up a bit. "Your sensei is going to be a good three hours late, just wait for him. I'm going to go find your comrade," Iruka calmly walked out of the room, many of the genin exiting after him.

**Iruka's P.O.V.**

I swear to kami-sama, that boy is going to blow his cover. He didn't bother to show up and he hides his chakra. Sometimes, I’m not entirely sure that Naruto should’ve ever been given so much responsibility so young. He’s certainly a skilled little prodigy, but he lacks the mental maturity and time-management skills to be successful with so much on his plate. Unfortunately, shinobi are always groomed young. The younger, the better. 

'He'd better have a damn good excuse for this.' 

I move at a fast pace straight to the Hokage Tower, hoping that Hokage-sama will know something. Usually the conniving old man knows something about whatever mission Naruto was last dragged into. I travel across the rooftops easily. 

I don't bother entering through the door, that would take way too much effort. I open a window jump inside, successfully scaring the ever-loving-shit out of the ANBU-gakis that are supposed to be protecting Hokage-sama. Not that the “kindly” old man needs protection.

Hokage-sama spins around is his roll-y chair. "What are you doing jumping through my window, Iruka-kun?" he asks, utterly unsurprised while his ANBU “guards” gather their composure.

"I can't find Naru. I figured you might know why the hell he didn't show up for team assignments," I say, slightly monotone from the habit caused by being in the ANBU for so long. You can still definitely hear the annoyance and worry in my voice, though. I'm so used to delivering oral reports that it's simply the way that I speak to Hokage-sama in general now.

"He didn't get kidnapped again, did he?" Hokage-sama asks, sweat-dropping. 

It wouldn't be the first time that's happened. Or the second. Or the third. You know, that's an actual possibility, now that I think about it.

"I honestly don't know. I can't sense his chakra anywhere in the village," I say lowly. "Wherever he is, he doesn't want to be found," I point out. Hokage-sama nods thoughtfully. I mean, I hope he didn't get kidnapped again, but you can never know with Naruto.

"Boys," he starts, referring to the ANBU behind me. "send out a bird for our precious Kitsune-sama, would you?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama," they both reply, disappearing. I smirk at their alertness. 

'Ah, good times, good times.' I think to myself.

Hokage-sama has a thoughtful expression on his face.

"There is absolutely no reason that I am aware of for Naruto to put his cover at risk like this," Hokage-sama murmured. "He's not dumb enough to sleep in or miss this for something stupid. It must be important," he assured himself.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

I run up to the door angrily and start pounding on it. Suddenly, the door slams open and in the threshold is none other than Shimura Danzo. I slam a scroll against his chest harshly, still panting a bit from running all the way here with practically no chakra.

"That goddamn mission is done, Danzo-san," I growl. 

'Stupid fucking—Blackmailing me? Jesus, how stupid can he get?' I growl in my head in place of the usual growling Kurama would be doing right now, were he not asleep. His chakra is totally wiped out too.

"Ah, thank you, Kitsune," he purrs, making a shiver run up my spine. It doesn't show, though. "Must you be so rough about things?" he asks patronizingly. 

I don't bother to focus my Sensory enough to read his facial expression. I'd honestly rather beat his face into the floor until even a person with sight wouldn't be able to recognize him.

"Yes, I must," I grunt. "If you aren't careful, you're going to make me blow my cover, which is punishable by death. You've made me miss team assignments. Please, try to be mindful of my schedule in the future and request assistance via the proper channels with the proper timing," My voice is sinister and threatening, my eyes narrowed aggressively. He couldn't see, though, as I was still wearing my mask. 

I resist the sudden urge to sneeze, because that's not something you do whilst wearing a mask unless you want to be really grossed out. The general fatigue that had set in sometime in the early morning was getting ahold of me. Muscle aches twisted in my legs and back.

"Then I guess you'd best be going, ne, Kitsune?" Danzo asks condescendingly. I turn to leave. "You should be wary of just who I can manipulate," he snickers. 

Anger flashes through me like a red-hot inferno, and I guess my mother's nickname made sense for me as well. 

I spin on my heel, slamming my hand into his throat before slamming him into the wall, lifting him and strangling him against it, letting him wheeze and choke. I let my mask vanish so he can see my face, my exhaustion, and my bi-colored eyes narrowed at him murderously. 

"You'd do well to remember who your superior is. I'm only doing this because it's a sure-fire way of ensuring Uchiha-san's safety. You do anything to threaten that safety, and I will end you in the most painful of manners," I growl. 

He made a mistake ticking me off. I release him and storm out the door, slamming it angrily behind me. Everyone in ANBU and ROOT knows my face anyway. 

The ROOT operatives immediately snap to attention at my reentrance, standing stock-straight with blank eyes staring straight ahead. All but one of them, that is. A boy who I know pretty well lounges on the chair he'd been sitting in prior to my angry exit. The ROOT operatives bow to me as I pass them by. I stop in front of the boy who's still lounging around. 

"Sai," I greet coldly, letting my emotions and exhaustion get the best of me. He looks up boredly.

"Kitsune-sama," he replies in a bored tone, smiling creepily. "You sound sick," Sai points out. I feel one of my eyebrows twitch at his observation.

"Escort me." I order, trying to suppress the congested tone I've been sporting all morning.

"Sounds troublesome," he sighs. "No." he mutters stubbornly.

"I don't believe that I asked." I growl. 

'He should really know better than to piss me off right now. He deals with me more often then Danzo himself, but Sai is kind of a dumbass. And socially retarded. He literally has no sense for emotions, so I can't be too mad at him, I guess.'

"And I don't believe that I agreed," he grunts in response. 

I grab Sai by the collar and lift him off of his chair, holding him in the air easily. I give him a sickly sweet smile, anger evident in my eyes. 

'Great. Now I feel like the lunatic I'm holding, with this sickly smile,'

"You would do well to remember that I have friends in high places, even if you don't fear my rank," I growl, maintaining that sickening smile. 

I sense my ANBU bird flying overhead, but I still need to talk to this bastard about his shitty fucking plan. He's going to make me late a-fucking-gain.

"That doesn't mean I have to like it," he grumbles. "Fine, I'll escort you. Put me down please, now," he agrees begrudgingly. 

I drop Sai on his feet and he dusts nonexistent dirt off of his shoulders. He huffs, jerkily motioning for me to start walking. My eyes narrow instinctively as I spin on my heel and exit the building, not sending a farewell glance to anyone. Sai follows right after me. I slow my pace a little as Sai walks at my side. My bird flies off to the Hokage Tower.

"How much longer?" Sai asks softly.

"I don't know," I reply.

"He's not going to let me out," he points out. I sigh. 

'If only Itachi had enough information to come home and testify against Danzo. Unfortunately, the Akatsuki are too high-profile to just ignore.'

"Once we get him to pay for his crimes against the Uchiha clan, I'll make sure that everyone in ROOT is released from their tongue seals. I have been researching it, Sai," I assure him.

"But of course, we can't make him pay for his crimes without testimonies, and you sent the two best testifiers out of the village under the guise of 'traitor' and 'dead,'" Sai mutters bitterly.

“That was Hokage-sama’s decision, and you know it,” I rebut. “I’d much rather have Danzo executed, but Hokage-sama has decided that our current focus is more important. We can still use Danzo,” I explain.

"I'll make sure that the records are accurate again once we get the info we need on Orochimaru and the Akatsuki," I state emotionlessly, beginning to get annoyed with my nasally tone. "You know that Konoha comes first. I miss my onii-chans a lot, and it hurts me to see Sasu-chan hate Ita-nii like he does," I murmur. Suddenly, I break into a coughing fit, covering my mouth with my fist.

"Ha, you really are sick!" Sai laughs. I sniffle and huff indignantly.

"You do realize that the only way for me to get sick would be if I'm almost completely out of chakra and my immune system starts shutting down, right?" I growl, trying to ignore my urge to sneeze. Pain shoots up my back and my legs wobble just a bit.

'Damn, my throat hurts.'

"Shutting down?" Sai asks warily.

"Yep, my immune system is crashing because I'm nearly out of chakra. The joys of being an Uzumaki and having a chakra-fueled immune system and longevity," I mutter emotionlessly.

"That doesn't sound fun," he points out humorlessly. "Danzo-sama is not going to stop coming after Uchiha-san. Eventually he'll send someone after him, and with Uchiha-san's obsession with power, you're going to lose him." He's straight back to business as usual. That's good because we have a limited time left for talking.

"He'll probably send you, and I know that you'd make joining ROOT sound boring and useless, which is why I’m not concerned," I point out, stifling another cough.

"You're wrong." Sai mumbles. "He won't send me. He's getting suspicious,"

I stare at him, unimpressed. "Then get back in Danzo's good graces. Make sure that you're the one sent to him, at least the first time," I order.

"Alright. I owe you that much, at least," Sai agrees. 

We arrive at the Hokage Tower, and Sai turns and walks off without another word. That's just how he is, he doesn't do things unnecessarily. I walk into the tower and wave at the receptionist before heading up to Jii-san's office. I knock on the door and hear a muffled "enter" before opening the door and strolling in as casually as possible, even though I sense Iruka within.

"Naruto," Hokage-sama greets.

"Where the hell were you this morning, Naruto?!!" Iruka shouts before I have a chance to respond.

"Securing Uchiha-san's safety by doing a job for Danzo," I say before sneezing suddenly into my elbow and sniffing wetly. "I know, it sounds stupid, but it was the most sure-fire way to get Danzo off of his back, at least temporarily. Plus, ROOT is still weak anyway. They were going to need help sooner or later, at least now I get what I want." I break off into a coughing fit. 

"Naru?" Iruka asks. I turn my eyes to him through my coughing. "Are you sick?" he asks, flabbergasted. I nod weakly and clear my throat.

"How much chakra do you have right now, Naru-kun?" Jii-san asks.

"Not much. I'm not even using Sensory right now because I don't have any chakra," I gripe, trying to ignore my congested tone because it is really starting to bother me.

Iruka comes forward and places a hand to my forehead, checking my temperature. His hand draws away sharply. "Naru, you have a fever," he says worriedly. "You're visibly sick, you need rest." 

"Nah, I'm fine. I'll at least go to team introductions," I argue. "I'll rest tonight, so don't worry. I don't have any missions anyway. Being sick is a good reason for missing this morning." I grin.

"It is, but—" Iruka starts.

"Just carry me to the academy. If you stay, I'll even sleep in there while waiting for Kakashi-baka," I plead. Iruka huffs sharply.

Unfortunately, I still have an undercover mission and therefore, a cover to maintain. Hopefully. Not that I’m very good at it.

"I agree with that plan of action, hm, Iruka-kun?" Jii-san said, backing me up. Iruka nods. "And Naruto?" I turn my gaze towards Jii-san to show that I'm listening. "During your introduction, please don't mention anything confidential, nor the fact that you're blind."

"Will do, old man!" I reply warmly, trying not to cough. "Being sick sucks though, how do you guys deal with getting sick so often?" I sniffle. 

"It's because we get used to it, Naru," Iruka chuckles. He turns and crouches before saying, "Get on my back, Naru," I nod wearily and practically collapse on his back, wrapping my arms around his neck. He grabs my legs, hoisting them up on his hips, and stands.

"Naruto, keep your henge down permanently please," Jii-san requests. 

I nod again to signal that I heard him without giving any thought to the meaning of his request. Iruka gives a farewell before jumping out the window and landing easily on a roof, running across the roofs all the way to the academy.

**Iruka's P.O.V.**

As we move quickly towards the academy, I listen to Naruto's breathing come and go slower, gradually becoming more even and less choppy. 

'He's already asleep. What exactly did Danzo have him do?' 

Naruto usually never falls asleep if he feels that it would leave him vulnerable, which is probably a bad thing. He has to be extremely tired right now to fall asleep in my arms, though. He more or less trusts our little group, but that doesn’t mean he ever really chooses to let his guard down. 

I make my way to the academy without jostling him around too much. I should probably wake him up to go inside, but I just can't bring myself to, not when he's so sick. I use my chakra to force the front doors open and make my way to the classroom I told everyone to come back to after they got done eating. A bit of a wind jutsu is always helpful in these scenarios. 

I use my Sensory and discover that Sasuke, Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Hinata, Shino, and Kiba are still inside. 

'Eh, he's already going to kill me for not waking him up anyway.' I think as I once again use my chakra to open the door. 

All of my pupils turn towards me, and their reactions are priceless. If I wasn't holding Naru, I would've started laughing, but I didn't want to jostle him around. I give them a bit of a shy smile, strolling into the room with Naru still sound asleep on my back. 

Ino is sitting on the table in front of Choji and Shikamaru facing them. They're at the table in front of where Sasuke and Sakura are sitting, Sasuke in the middle and Sakura on one side of him. The other three are sitting at a table closer to the front of the room. I make my way over to Sasuke and Sakura, taking note of the worried looks on everyone's faces. 

I gently ease Naru into the seat on the other side of Sasuke and stand up, making sure that his hood is pulled securely over his hair. I make sure that his limbs are arranged in a comfortable manner before turning to my students. Shikamaru and Choji had turned in their chairs, Ino leaned forward a bit, and Hinata, Kiba, and Shino had stood and come closer.

"I found your teammate," I chuckle sheepishly to Sasuke and Sakura.

"No shit, sensei," Sasuke mutters sarcastically, earning a nervous laugh and light shove from Sakura.

"What did that baka do this time, Iruka-sensei?" Sakura asks loudly, trying to mask her concern.

"Oh, he's just sick," I say lightly, waving my hand like it's nothing.

"If he's sick, then shouldn't he be at home resting, sensei?" Ino asks.

"Hm?" I consider. "Probably, but he said he'd sleep until his sensei gets here. He was pretty out of it and didn't even realize what was going on today. I wouldn't worry too much, though,"

"Y-you w-wouldn't worry t-too m-m-much?" Hinata stutters. "B-but y-you s-said he didn't e-even know what t-today was!" 

'She looks really frantic. Children are so sweet in their concern,'

"Don't worry, he's a tough kid. He's survived worse," I state in my "ANBU" tone. My students don't get this tone from me, and a few of them look a bit freaked out by the serious tone. 

“Naruto doesn’t get sick, though,” Sasuke protests, looking a bit pale, his eyes focused on his new teammate. 

“Not usually, no. He just overdid it a bit with his training, I’m sure,” I smile.

Sasuke hums, unconvinced.

I turn towards Naru and adjust his hoodie around him once more, to hide his scars, before seating myself at my desk. The quiet chatter from the eight of them resumes in a hushed tone. I watch as the others file in, but only the eight that remained in the classroom bother to cast worried and tentative glances towards our little jinchuuriki. I smile gently as I watch Sasuke dart his eyes over to Naruto's sleeping form for the fifth time in less than a minute. 

‘I wonder when Naruto will realize that he has a little admirer?’

All of a sudden, the door slides open, and a head pokes into the room. "Team 7!" an overly happy voice chimes. I turn, eyes wide, to see Kakashi actually the first person here for once. He looks at me, giving me an eye smile, as Sasuke wakes up Naruto. Kakashi enters the room fully and strolls over to me, planting a kiss on my cheek despite his mask. 

"Kakashi!" I hiss in embarrassment, shoving him away. I hear some chuckles from my students as I cover my red face, huffing indignantly. "I'm surprised you're actually early for once." I mutter, my eyes narrowing ever so slightly at him. Even with his one eye, he takes note of the action.

"Meh, Naru's sick," Kakashi points out. "I figured that you would want him in bed as soon as possible," he says, waving his hands in an embarrassed manner, but I make out the sign language for "later." I nod quickly. 

We turn simultaneously as we hear a crash. I wince. Naruto may or may not have fallen on Sasuke. There doesn't seem to be any lasting damage though. They both recover, although Sakura is screeching about how "Naruto-baka" needs to be more careful around "my Sasuke-kun."

"Enjoy that," I grin sadistically. 

"I hate you," Kakashi deadpans.

**Author's Note: Can anybody guess when I wrote this chapter? I happen to think that it's pretty obvious. *smirks evilly***

**Editor’s Note: The answer: I was sick.**

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	13. The Best at Introductions

**Chapter 13 - The Best at Introductions**

**Editor’s Note: Wow, another chapter without an Author’s Note. That’s fun. Come check out the links in my bio! (shameless self-promotion over [for now])**

**Chapter 13**

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

I stumble to the front of the room, Sakura still reprimanding me for falling on Sasuke. I hear whispers as I walk past everyone, likely about my height. I sneeze, and Sasuke chuckles. 

"Something funny, bastard?" I growl, trying (and failing) to keep the sickness out of my voice.

"Absolutely nothing," he says quickly. “He sounds like a spray bottle,” he whispers to himself and I turn livid eyes on him. Something in his voice is odd though. Whatever. 

I huff and I make my way to Kakashi and drape myself on his back, loosely dangling my arms over his shoulders. Kakashi sighs before lifting me up like I'm not over a hundred pounds. 

"Naruto-baka!" Sakura screeches as I shut off my Sensory again to conserve chakra. "What on earth do you think you're doing!? I'm really sorry for his behavior, um, sensei?" she remarks.

"Oh, no need. I've known Naru for years, and this is about par for the course with him," Kakashi says sweetly. 

I can imagine that her loud voice is giving his sensitive ears a headache. There's more than one reason why I call him "puppy." I would chuckle if I wasn't so tired.

"Oh?" Sakura mutters in a questioning manner. Kakashi-nii doesn't elaborate. Instead, Kakashi walks out of the room.

"Are they going to follow us?" I ask, coughing right after when I don't hear two sets of footsteps trailing behind us.

"We'll see." Kakashi answers. A moment later, what sounds like two people come running out of the room. "Boom," he snickers. Sasuke and Sakura (I presume, kami-sama, sometimes I hate being blind) run up to us.

"Where are we going, sensei?" Sakura asks.

"Hm, where indeed?" Kakashi replies, beginning to walk up a set of stairs.

"The roof?" Sakura asks again.

"I wonder," Kakashi drawls lazily.

"Kaka-nii, there's no need to be a jackass," I huff hoarsely, trying to keep myself from coughing because that fucking hurts. "You can't decide whether you like them or not based on the loudness of their voices for your," cough "touchy-feely ears," And a sneeze. Fuck.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pot calling the kettle black, Naru?" he replies.

"Shut up," I sniffle. Kakashi chuckles at the effects of my more than interesting sickness.

It's annoying, but I can't even tell for sure where we're going. Whether we're ascending a flight of stairs or walking down a hill, I can't even tell the difference. I sigh in displeasure. Displeasure that I had long since forgotten what happened when the darkness came back. I had long since forgotten what it was like to play how long can I pretend that I'm not afraid of being blind, of being afraid of the dark.

**Third Person P.O.V.**

Kakashi carries Naruto up the flight of stairs, his two other students following behind them with wary expressions on their faces. Those expressions would have made Kakashi chuckle had he not wanted to avoid jostling his "little brother." Kakashi forces the doors open with his chakra in a similar way to what Iruka had done and walks across the roof, pausing near the railing. 

He gives his pupils a warm smile as they seat themselves in front of him. They were young, yes. Most jonin were put off by how young this year's genin seem to be, the memories of when they had graduated long since forgotten. Of course, Kakashi had trained younger. Stronger, too. But that child was still on his back. It made him proud to think that he had trained the ANBU commander, but he'd had little to do with it. 

He had taught Naruto everything he knew, and Naruto took it, twisted it, and made it his own. There was nothing for Kakashi to be proud of. He had merely been a tool for Naruto, a stepping stone. That didn't mean that he'd be a hindrance now, though. Pushing Naruto to become even better and rise to the occasion of his station was his main goal.

"I guess we should start with introductions, ne?" Kakashi asks. 

"What sort of stuff should we say, sensei?" Sakura replies. 

The pinkette tilts her head to the side in a confused manner, and Kakashi wanted to beat some sense into her like he did Naruto all that time ago. That would be considered child abuse, and Kakashi honestly doubted the pinkette could take it.

"Your name, of course," Kakashi drawls dumbly. "Maybe your likes and dislikes? Hobbies?" All Kakashi was thinking was something along the lines of, ‘Doesn't she know how to introduce herself. I never had to do this in the ANBU,’

"Dreams for the future?" Naruto suggests from Kakashi's back. 

Kakashi's visible eye widens. Apparently, Kakashi had forgotten that Naruto was still on his back. Kakashi turned so that his back wasn't towards the railing and unceremoniously dropped Naruto in a sitting position next to Sasuke. Naruto proceeded to act like water and become a puddle on the roof, lying down boneless beside his new teammate. 

"There wasn't any need to drop me because you got flustered, Kakashi-nii," Naruto teases lightly, not seeming put out by Kakashi's rough treatment.

Kakashi sighs in exasperation, noting the way Naruto's eyes closed in apparent exhaustion, a tell-tale sign that he wasn't using Sensory. 

"I believe Naruto had a good idea with the dreams thing. Do that," Kakashi directs. 

There's a certain lack of warmth in his voice, but it's difficult to determine whether that's because he doesn't care, or is acting like his ANBU captain self accidentally.

"Can you give us an example, sensei? So we know what to do?" Sakura prompts. She has a hopeful look on her face, and Kakashi finds it tugging at his heartstrings.

"Alright, I guess," he mutters shyly. He's never been good at this whole introduction thing. "My name is Hatake Kakashi," Naruto makes a sound of approval when Kakashi gives his last name first. Kakashi knows that it's something Naruto is touchy about for some reason. 

"My likes are—you're too young to know that," he cuts himself off, sweat dropping and realizing exactly what his likes consist of. Naruto chuckles at him. 

"As for my dislikes," he utters nervously. "I guess there's a certain group of people that I dislike because all of these people have hurt someone dear to me," Kakashi says, casting a discreet glance at Naruto and catching the sigh and sarcastic, "surprise, surprise" escaping from his lips, hardly different than the breath passing between them previously. 

"My hobbies are—nope, you're too young to know that, too," Kakashi cuts himself off again, skin turning ashen as he imagined exactly what genjutsu Kurenai would put him under if she were here. Kakashi chuckles nervously, drowning out the light laughter from Naruto. 

"And my dreams for the future?" he asks himself. "I haven't really considered it." 

"Don't you mean marrying your pretty boyfriend?" Naruto taunts good-naturedly.

"Sh-shut up, gaki!" Kakashi stutters, the visible part of his face flushing scarlet. Naruto chuckles at his reaction. "Ugh, pinkie, you're next." he snaps.

"Wait, wait," Naruto rasps. "I have rules to add," he says, glancing at Kakashi for approval. Kakashi grunts in response, catching the way that Naruto's eyes don't meet his. 

"For both of you, I don't know if you caught it, but Kakashi gave his last name first. This is a formal introduction, so that's only polite. For Sakura," no one missed the lack of -chan, "no mentions of Sasuke. This is your introduction, not his, and everyone already knows that you love him. For Sasuke, could you stop being an emo-revenge-obsessed-geek for like two seconds?" he asks sarcastically, finishing off the listing of his new rules with a coughing fit. 

Kakashi motions for Sakura to start her introduction.

"Um, well, I'm Haruno Sakura," she starts off. 

'She seems to be as terrible at introductions as I am.' Kakashi thinks. 

"Uh, I'm not really sure what to say," she says nervously.

"What's your favorite color?" Naruto asks suddenly.

"Huh? Oh," Sakura glances at Sasuke, her cheeks flushing. "Black," she says surely. Sasuke rolls his eyes and Naruto arches an eyebrow.

"What's your favorite animal?" Naruto asks again.

"Um," Sakura glances once more at Sasuke and gives a sure answer of, "Crow," 

Sasuke scoffs, his face contorting in mild anger. Kakashi and Naruto suppressed their laughter. A crow. Itachi. It was probably the most ironic thing to happen in a while, especially because Sakura didn't notice Sasuke's reaction.

"Favorite season?" Naruto asks.

"Spring, because that's when everything starts growing again," Sakura says surely, not even taking time to glance at Sasuke. Her lips curve into a gentle smile. Sasuke looks back at her, curiosity in his eyes.

"That's all you needed to say," Naruto says warmly, sneezing again.

Sakura gapes at him a bit. "Then, I guess I'll move onto my dislikes, then," she says unsurely. Kakashi gives her an eye smile to reassure her, and she seems to relax a bit. 

"Um, well, I don't like it when my family and friends are treated badly for no reason. Then, my hobbies, I study and read, and hang out with my friends and family," she says with a soft expression on her face. "As for my dreams for the future," she looks at Sasuke unsurely. She looks at her lap, closing her eyes tightly. "I want to be a strong kunoichi and marry Sasuke-kun!" she declares, her face turning crimson. Naruto chuckles at her admission.

"Honestly, your introduction wouldn't be complete without some mention of Sasuke, would it?" Naruto asks himself, obviously trying to ease her worry over what their sensei would think over her breaking a rule. She looks up at him, smiling in an almost grateful manner.

"Alright, I guess Mr. Broody McBrooderson is up next, ne?" Kakashi asks teasingly, gesturing to Sasuke. Naruto starts laughing his booming laugh, despite being sick, and Sakura giggles at the nickname.

"I would not recommend calling me that again, unless of course, you want a bunch of kunai and shuriken buried in sporadic places in your body." Sasuke says darkly, his eyes glinting murderously. 

Kakashi pales a bit as Naruto's laughter becomes even louder, being broken slightly by the force of his coughing.

"Your reactions are all the same," Kakashi deadpans.

"Hey, hey," Naruto gasps, "that thing Shisui-nii said was pretty good," he defends.

"He threatened to cut a certain one of my body parts off with his Katon: Rasen Shuriken. I don't think that's 'pretty good,'" Kakashi winces. Sakura laughs a bit louder and Sasuke's mood darkens a bit at the mention of a supposedly long dead Uchiha. "Alright, let's continue with the introductions," Kakashi pleads, wanting to get this done with. Naruto is the only one that picks up on his feelings.

"Remember Sasuke, don't be an emo-revenge-obsessed-geek," Naruto reminds him with a smirk. Sasuke's eyes narrow at him in a glare that he can't even see.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke," he says coldly. "I don't particularly like anything," he states.

"He likes tomatoes, cats, and being alone," Sakura interrupts with a calm expression on her face. Sasuke gapes at her, along with Kakashi. Naruto's eyes open in his surprise.

"Creepy fangirl," Kakashi hisses just loud enough for everyone to hear. Sakura twitches a bit.

"Stalkerish fangirl," Naruto amends, tilting his head to the side and wondering if there were times when he'd missed her spying on Sasuke. Sakura twitches again.

"Disturbing fangirl," Sasuke mutters with a shiver. "I get you knowing about the tomatoes, and my desire to be alone is obvious, but how the hell did you find out about the cats?" he asks, flabbergasted.

"You feed and play with the stray kittens near the Uchiha compound," she states matter-of-factly. A light blush tints Sasuke's cheeks, and the tips of his ears redden.

"I never denied it," he huffs in an embarrassed manner. 

Sakura grins victoriously. Naruto just looks between the spots in the air where he think they currently are in a thoughtful way. 

"I dislike a lot of things, and it would be a waste of time to discuss them all," Sasuke says harshly, daring Sakura to intervene again. She didn't. 

"My hobbies are training and avoiding my fangirls," Sakura's face flushes. "I don't have a dream, per se, but I have an ambition. I will make sure that I accomplish it. I will restore my clan and kill the man who killed them in the first place," Sasuke says darkly. Kakashi internally panics about Naruto's reaction. PTSD can be terrible.

Naruto's eyes dull a bit, and Kakashi realizes that he must be having a flashback. 

'Not good.' is his immediate thought. Kakashi still remembered how beat up Naruto looked, slicing through the last of the ROOT operatives that dared to come near. Blood splattered all over him, a helpless, lifeless look in his eyes, mixed with lethal determination. The determination to protect the small Uchiha boy cowering behind him, blood on his face, had kept him going long after all rational thought had fled. Because no one can be rational in that situation. Kill or be killed. And Kakashi knew how much Naruto hated the former and how he simply couldn't allow the latter. 

Kakashi still remembered the hard, lifeless way Naruto had addressed them, his family, and the way his face lost all trace of anger and how loving his gaze seemed when it landed on the boy behind him. Kakashi stared numbly at his "little brother" and his taichou, sitting silently with dull eyes thinking about the war he had witnessed during peace times as a child. 

They both snapped out of the spell simultaneously. Kakashi jerked slightly, his eye widening in mild horror as a barely suppressed whimper crowded his throat. Naruto didn't move or react in any way. The haze from his eyes cleared and he blinked once, twice. Sakura and Sasuke watched them with confusion in their eyes.

"I guess it's my turn," Naruto rasps before clearing his throat. Kakashi can't bring himself to respond, still caught up in the panic from the flashback. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto," he chirps, trying to find that happiness in his life that had been sucked away with Sasuke's words. "I like ramen, the color orange, a ridiculous amount of people," he chuckles a bit. "I won't bother to list all the people that I like. I don't like when people let their anger and hatred control them. I don't like it when people are too ignorant or arrogant to realize when they're hurting someone. I hate it when my precious people are hurt," he says harshly, glancing towards the spot he knew Sasuke sat. "I don't like the dark," he said, his voice getting quiet all of a sudden and his eyes closing.

"Naru," Kakashi mutters in a choked tone.

"My hobbies are training and spending time with my loved ones. My dreams for the future are to teach the people of the world that their choices affect others besides themselves. I want to show people to live with others in mind. Despite all the pain someone may suffer from, they can still spread love and kindness," Naruto's lips curve into a sentimental smile. 

"I want to always protect my loved ones, and there are some of my loved ones that I want to bring home or free from an obligation they've never wanted," he sighs. "That's it for me, I guess," he shrugs.

Sasuke and Sakura gape openly at Naruto while Kakashi smiles behind his mask. 

'I guess we all know who the best on our team at introductions is.' he thinks happily. 

Naruto falls back, roughly landing on his back. Kakashi panics for a moment before he sees that Naruto is still fine, just tired and laying down. Sasuke scoffs softly, looking away, his cheeks a bit pink. Sakura looks back and forth between the two, trying to piece together what must have happened between the two of them for Sasuke to at least pretend to be mad.

"Alright," Kakashi claps, drawing Sasuke and Sakura's attention and knowing that he already has Naruto's. Then Kakashi notices that clapping to gain people's attention was a habit he picked up from Naruto, and smiles under his mask. "Tomorrow morning at 6 a.m., meet at the bridge near training ground 7. You'll be having your final exam," 

Sasuke quirks an eyebrow, Sakura looks downright confused, and a smug smirk curves Naruto's lips. 

"You have a 66% chance of failure. I'll explain the exercise when we meet tomorrow, but I will give you a hint. Don't eat breakfast tomorrow unless you want to throw up," Kakashi's eye narrows sadistically, surely a habit he picked up from Anko.

"Kaa-san would kill you if he knew that you were telling me to skip a meal," Naruto chuckles, gently hinting to his team to eat tomorrow. 

He stands shakily and stretches, his hood falling from his head, several of his scars on display from pulling his arms up above his head. Sakura gasps. Sasuke doesn't seem surprised. Kakashi knows that he isn't. Naruto makes an inquisitive hum, dropping his arms to his sides.

"Y-you have scars. A-and you're taller. Y-your hair," Sakura stuttered uselessly.

"I usually wear a henge," Naruto sniffs. "I'm out of chakra or else I would've,"

"What?!" Sakura shouts, flabbergasted.

"I'm too tired to bother explaining it," Naruto sighs. "I have been ordered to drop it, though," he says, turning those barely-open eyes in Kakashi's direction pointedly. Kakashi hums in acknowledgement. 

"Oh," Sakura utters dumbly. Sasuke grunts in annoyance.

"You're dismissed. Just make sure to come tomorrow," Kakashi states monotonically.

"S-Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asks. "Do you want to—"

"No," Sasuke says quickly, immediately cutting her off.

Their sensei surges forward suddenly, scooping Naruto into his arms. Sasuke and Sakura jump at the sudden movement, moving forward on impulse to check on their new teammate. Kakashi eases Naruto onto the ground and the genin see that their teammate is unconscious.

"Kakashi, is he alright?" Sasuke asks, trying not to show his worry.

"I don't know, give me a second," Kakashi states worriedly. 

He hovers his hands over Naruto's forehead and his chest, his hands taking on a faint green glow. Sasuke and Sakura wait a bit less than patiently. One of Kakashi's hands moves down his torso slowly, checking for injuries.

"Well, sensei?" Sakura asks once Kakashi releases the medical jutsu and sits back on his heels.

"He's completely out of chakra," Kakashi states emotionlessly. "He's really sick. His immune system has seemingly crashed," he says, contemplating the strange matter.

"If his immune system crashed, he'll get sick with every bug he comes into contact with!" Sasuke exclaims fearfully. No, not fearfully, for the great Uchiha do not show emotion. 

"Yep," Kakashi says, popping the "p" in a childish manner. 

"How would something like that even happen, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asks in a confused manner.

"Hm? Oh, well Naruto has a chakra-based immune system. Basically, that means that Naruto's immune system can't function if he doesn't have enough chakra, but when he has chakra, his immune system is ridiculously strong," Kakashi explains. "This is the first time he's ever been sick. His healing abilities are superb as well," 

"I didn't even know that something like that was possible," Sakura exclaims.

"He's the first I know of to have a chakra-based immune system like this," Kakashi says simply.

"The first?" Sasuke asks.

"Naruto's the first for a lot of things," Kakashi states.

"What should we do with him?" Sakura asks. "He needs to get better quickly if he's going to pass tomorrow's test,"

"Once he recovers some chakra, he'll start getting better incredibly fast. For now, he just needs rest. I'll take him home now, so don't worry too much about him. He'll probably be fine by tomorrow morning if he doesn't do anything strenuous," Kakashi says. 

The other genin still looked a bit nervous. Sasuke and Sakura shared a glance. Sasuke didn't know why Sakura bothered to be concerned, but he was glad she was.

"Kakashi?" Sasuke asks. "Do you know why Naruto hasn't been sleeping?" he asks, making a pointed glance at Naruto's slightly ashen skin and the dark circles under his eyes.

"As far as I know, he made a deal with someone saying that he would help them out in exchange for a friend's safety. I can't tell you much more than that, why?" Kakashi informs them.

"Naruto told me that he wasn't sleeping because there have been break-ins at his place recently," Sasuke counters.

"Hmm?" Kakashi hums, his visible eye widening just a fraction. "That's new. Thanks for the tip, kid," he chuckles.

"Why are you laughing if Naruto could get hurt while recovering?" Sakura screeches.

"Didn't you say he shouldn't be doing anything strenuous until he recovers fully?" Sasuke asks darkly.

"Um, yeah, why?" Kakashi gulps.

"Are you going to look after him or will we have to?" Sasuke asks seriously.

"I believe that Iruka asked a friend of ours, who Naru trusts, to look after him tonight, so don't worry," Kakashi says, trying to satisfy them, eye-smiling nervously. Truthfully, Hokage-sama had asked Anko to look after Naruto already.

"Who?" Sakura asks.

"Mitarashi Anko," Kakashi replies.

"I have no idea who that is," the two genin deadpanned.

"Well, if you ask Naru, he calls her An-nee," Kakashi sighs.

"I suppose that's fine then," Sasuke considered after a moment.

"Just make sure that this 'Mitarashi Anko' gets there before you leave, alright sensei?" Sakura asks gently.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll make sure of it," Kakashi says boredly. 

Kakashi picks Naruto up off of the ground, carrying him bridal style and took off towards the jinchuuriki's apartment. Naruto was definitely out cold, that's for sure.

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	14. The Bell Test

**Chapter 14 - The Bell Test**

**Author's Note: As you can tell, I'm back. Sorry about the break, but it had to be done. Chapter 13 is the bell test. It took me forever to get this chapter right. I was never satisfied with it, and honestly, I'm still not. Oh well. I've been editing the same chapter over and over again for a month, hence the break. I simply couldn't get it right or up to my standards. As always, critiquing is welcome, as I'm trying to improve my writing as a whole. By the way, mentions of Shisui x Anko in this chapter. It isn't actually a ship, but I think it works well for this story. Plus, my versions of Shisui and Anko are practically made for each other.**

**REALLY QUICK POLE: How many of you would be interested in seeing an original story of mine up on here? Comment if you care. Be honest with me.**

**Have fun reading the new chapter!**

**Editor’s Note: So yeah, I don’t know why I decided to make Shisui and Anko a romantic relationship. It’s really minor and probably would’ve been better just platonic. Ah well, I’m not going to change it now. The poll is technically closed, but eventually I’ll have my novel for sale on Kindle for like five dollars. Anyway, consider interacting with my social media or buying some quality stuff from my Redbubble!**

**Chapter 14**

**The Next Morning - Naruto's P.O.V.**

I wake up easily to the sound of Kurama yelling at me to, **"Wake the fuck up!"** I nearly fall off my bed in shock of the thundering voice. It's been awhile since Kurama's been so loud to me. Ever since he started talking to me regularly, he's been fairly quiet. Gruff if mad, but never yelling anymore. Loud noises startle me, and Kurama is just like an overprotective big brother. 

'Kura, why are you being so loud?' I whine in my head. 

He's probably trying to punish me for using up all of my chakra yesterday. It's not my fault that I never have any time to relax! It's not like I'd take a day off anyway. I try to get out of bed and almost instantly fall back into it. My muscles don't hurt, but it's like every nerve in my body is tingling. I feel, well, weak. 

'Why does my body feel so weak, Kura?' I ask. 

**"It's because you finally kicked your sickness an hour or so ago. Your immune system is back up and running, but you have to use minimal chakra today. You can't use Sensory full time, but you'll be able to use your Hiraishin seals to get around for the most part. Anko is still here, too,"** Kurama gripes. 

'Still? What the hell happened? What day is it? Shit! What's the time?' 

If I was late and Kakashi showed up on time, he'd never let me live it down. Not getting embarrassed is way more important than health! 

**"Your Hokage got her to come here to look after you. Kakashi brought you back here after you collapsed, and your teammates were adorably worried about you. That was yesterday, and it's 5:18 in the morning, so you still have time to get ready for the bell test. No morning routine today, you're still recovering. No missions until your chakra is overflowing, either. I'll let you start your routine again once I think your chakra system can handle it,"** Kurama demands. 

'Kura, you are so overprotective. Are you mad at me for running out of chakra, is that why you're being so loud today?' 

We both know that I'm right, but he typically won't admit it. He looks like a grizzly bear, but he is in fact nothing more than a plush teddy bear. 

**"I'm not mad at you, kit,"** he mutters in a low voice. 

I'm almost surprised that he's voicing his opinion to me, as he usually doesn't. 

**"I'm mad at Danzo and at myself. I think that we need to work on expanding your chakra stores more,"**

'How? When I'm full chakra, I have more than any reported ninja in a really long time. I don't know if my chakra can be increased,' 

**"I've got a theory that if you learn fuinjutsu, you could probably make a seal to store chakra. If you can do that, then you could just funnel a bunch of chakra into it and leave it. The chakra you gave the seal will regenerate and you'll be at max again and still have extra chakra,"**

'If I learn fuinjutsu, that would be a great solution. But I'm not going to learn fuinjutsu. It would be a disgrace.' 

**"Kit, just because you're blind doesn't mean it would be a disgrace to learn sealing, it just means you would have to work a lot harder,"**

'A blind person shouldn't bother. It’s a disrespect to the art,' 

**"Naruto! It's what your parents would've wanted, blind or not!"**

'Just shut up, would you?'

I get up off of my bed for the second time that morning and run a hand through my hair, messing it up. I already know that my parents would've wanted me to learn the art that they excelled at and loved, but they also wouldn't have wanted me to be a jinchuuriki. Sometimes, I have to believe that mother doesn't know best. If they were still alive, I wouldn't have lost my eyes, I'd be best friends with little Sasuke, and I wouldn't be in the ANBU, much less their commander. 

I shrug out of the sleep shirt I'd been put in and move to my closet. I grab a fishnet and a hoodie that I know to be orange and red with yellow flame designs. I almost always wear something representing the colors that my parents were associated with. Once I figured out that orange was made by mixing their colors, I became enthralled with it.

‘Ah, childhood. So sweet, so innocent,’

I put on some black ANBU pants with it and grab my black combat boots. The door to my bedroom slams open, startling me, as I'm keeping my Sensory range to the bare minimum as I dress, and preparing to stop using it altogether. Conserving chakra will be the name of the game today.

"Naru!" Anko's all-too familiar voice cries. "You're awake!" she shouts. 

She certainly seems happy. I guess that I did kind of maybe pass out while standing up yesterday just because I have a cold. That maybe might have sort of worried her a little tiny bit. Whoopsie.

"Yeah. Kicked the cold an hour or so ago, or so says Kurama. Can't use Sensory full-time though." I reply blandly. 

Anko dashes forward and wraps her arms around me. 

'Happy, indeed,' I muse to myself.

“Sorry for worrying you,” I apologize sheepishly, letting An-nee squish my cheeks.

"I'm glad to see that you're feeling better than yesterday," she sighs. "You were pretty bad," she chuckles, releasing me from her embrace and bending down to tie my remaining boot for me. 

I thank her internally. Everyone who knows me well knows for a fact that I don't like being treated like an invalid or a cripple. She does stuff for me without making me feel like I'm not good enough, which is something that a lot of people can't manage. An-nee has similar self-esteem issues, though.

“I guess I overdid it a bit this past week,” I grimace.

“You think?” Anko replies sarcastically.

I laugh. “Okay, okay! I definitely overdid it! Hopefully I’ll be able to take a bit of a break and just focus on my undercover mission for a while,” I sigh wistfully.

“If Hokage-sama tries to give you any missions for the next week, I will strangle him,” she threatens.

“He hasn’t given me a mission for months!” I complain. “I have to spend all my time filling in for everyone and monitoring ROOT!”

“You’ve just been filling in all this time?” Anko gasps, horrified. “But we haven’t even been able to chat and get dango together for like four months! What are those damn ANBU doing?” she frets.

“Hell if I know, An-nee,”

She pouts for a moment before perking up again. "Think Kakashi'll show up on time?" Anko asks teasingly. A tick mark forms on my forehead at the question.

"He better, or else I'm throwing Icha Icha Paradise in the river. I have better things to be doing," I murmur darkly. 

Anko laughs at my behavior. “So reminiscent of me, my little minion!” she cackles.

She rises to her feet again, and both of my shoes are now tied. She probably rubbed off on me a little bit, but I know that I would probably still be pretty sadistic all by myself. I may love people and want to protect my loved ones, but that doesn't mean that I won't make them suffer along the way.

“It isn’t all you, y’know! I’m a tiny ball of anger and disappointment!” I protest proudly.

All that earns me is guffawing laughter and a hair ruffle. I cross my arms and pout at Anko.

“You’re such a jerk!” I pout.

"Yeah, yeah, I’m terrible. Are you going to use your Hiraishin seals to get around today? I can’t imagine you’d want to do too much walking right now. I’m sure you’re not feeling one hundred percent quite yet," she asks replies.

"Yeah, the altered forms Jiraiya and Kakashi brainstormed don't require too much chakra. Just enough for activation, so it’ll suit me better than my shunshin for a while," I point out, raising an eyebrow at her question. 

Anko goes a bit green in the face. 

“I don’t know how you manage to use that monster jutsu so easily! It’s terrible!” Anko croaks. I frown.

'Ah, that's right, everyone hates the newer Hiraishin but me. Even Kakashi doesn't like it when I drag him with me, and he helped structure the damn thing,' Everyone always grumbles about nausea or something, basically they're all being babies.

"Is something wrong, Naru-chan?" Anko asks in a concerned manner.

"No, why?" I reply dubiously.

"You just seem rather monotone and bored. Kinda like you’re in gear," she mutters, almost to herself. "Did you and Kurama argue?" she asks suddenly. 

I flinch slightly, already knowing that my reaction gave me away. 

‘It’s a good thing I wear a mask in the ANBU. I wear my damn heart on my sleeve,’

Anko's always right on the money. She's been in the Interrogation and Torture Unit since before we met, so she's really good at putting two and two together. Not to mention that she was Orochimaru’s personal student. If she could understand that crazy bastard, she can probably dissect all of my obvious emotions. It's one of the things about her that I have a personal love-hate relationship with.

"Yeah. He's still trying to get me to learn fuinjutsu. I’m still resistant. It’s the same old routine," I gripe. 

Everyone knows how much I detest the idea, and yet, they all want me to do it. I know that my parents were masters, and that it's important, but I'm freaking BLIND. I believe that it would be a disgrace, but everyone else seems to disagree, which I find freakishly unreasonable. At least Shikaku-san has the capability to see things my way and doesn't push me about it. The others are lacking that common sense.

To the Uzumaki Clan, respect of the art was one of the most important cultural facets in Uzushio. I wouldn’t be able to appreciate it fully, and that just feels disrespectful.

"I think it would be good if you learned it too, though. Think of how useful it would be!" Anko says lightly. “Not to mention, you’re such a baby prodigy that I’m sure you’d get the hang of it quickly,”

"It probably would come naturally, both of my parents were masters after all, but what would people say when they learn that the blind village idiot is learning fuinjutsu?" I ask hopelessly. 

I know that she'll never sway to my way of thinking, but I won't just give up without a fight. I can’t exactly explain my full reasoning though. The cultural reasoning just feels to personal. I’m not a part of the culture, so I shouldn’t try to appropriate it.

"For one,” Anko starts. “the village doesn't know that you're blind, and two, you aren't actually an idiot. You just pretend to be sometimes because the Council are a bunch of dicks," she remarks in a frustrated tone. She should know by now that she'll never sway my opinion either.

"Whatever," I grumble, crossing my arms with a huff.

"Wow, you really are a teenager, jackass. There's no reason to be so melodramatic. I definitely wasn’t this bad at your age," she chuckles teasingly. 

'I'm fourteen, does that even classify as "moody teen"? Eh, probably.’

“An-nee, at my age, you were torturing people. So I dare say you were worse,” I state blankly. She scoffs.

"I need to go take my bell test, Anko-nee," I continue as if she hadn't just disagreed with my sentiment. Sometimes it's for the best if you just ignore the more stupid comments. This is one of those times.

"First, you're eating breakfast. It's important since you just recovered. You’ve got to stay healthy now," Anko instructs. 

She grabs my hand and leads me into my kitchen, forcing me to sit down at the table while she decided to look in my fridge. I wonder if I even have any not-rotten food in there. I haven't eaten at my own place in a little while. I think back to the last time I went grocery shopping.

‘Was it last week? No, the week before? No, not then. When did I last shop? Was it even last month?’

"Na-ru-to?" she asks, enunciating each syllable of my name separately. 

It sounds dangerous. Whenever a girl that doesn't immediately object to cutting you into bits and pieces with nothing more than a scalpel sounds dangerous, you know that it's time to run. Run far, far away.

I purse my lips together and can almost feel the blood drain out of my face. "Yeah?" I question, hoping that she won't dismember me.

"Why don't you have any food in here?" she asks darkly. My guess was right! "You haven't had food in there for a week or more," 

'It's not my fault that I'm always eating everywhere else but here,' I complain. 

I turn my attention back to Anko, because death and dismemberment isn't out of the question. She might be my big sis, but she won’t hesitate to put me through the ringer when she feels like it.

"I'm always eating with others at their places. Jii-san, kaa-san, with ROOT," I say easily. 

'I'm too young to die! Kurama, you'll protect me, right?' 

**"I'll keep you alive, but that's it. Don't expect anything else. I’m not getting involved with the crazy snake woman if I can help it,"** the demon fox chuckles harshly. 

I visibly blanch at the statement.

"Come on, we're going to Ichiraku's to get you breakfast," she says sternly, ignoring my faces, well used to Kurama and I’s antics. 

I rise from my chair, Anko grabbing my hand and leading me. I use my Sensory as little as possible as we walk that familiar route to Ichiraku's. I had memorized the exact amount of steps it took to get there a long time ago. There are always certain things that blind people have to do that people with sight don't, and that's just one of those things. Memorizing steps to familiar places is simply something that I do subconsciously now.

"Yo, Teuchi-san," Anko smirked. 

Teuchi looks over and I can practically feel his warm smile lighting up all the nearby areas. He’s such a sunshine!

"Anko, Naru. How are you two doing?" he replied warmly. 

It seemed that they were just starting to open. Ichiraku's always opens early for their typical morning crowd of ANBU trailing after me like lost little Kakashi's. 

"Pretty good. Naru has his final test to become a genin in a little while," Anko chirped. 

She's always been fond of Teuchi, but when he was one of the first "outsiders" to show his support from her impromptu relationship with Shisui, she grew to like him even more. They were an interesting relationship. I honestly hadn’t expected Shisui to get involved with anyone outside of his Clan, primarily because of his incredible sharingan. His borderline psychotic sadism was kind of a turn off for the Uchiha girls, apparently. 

Anko had been furious when I had sent Shisui away to help Jiraiya. Despite the decision being Hokage-sama’s, I’m the one that took the fall. So she thinks that I separated her from the man that she loved, and it wasn't fair. She had been bitter for a while, and I think that she still is from time to time, but she understands why I had to do it.

"Oh? Who's your sensei, Naru? I assume that you want the usual?" Teuchi asks.

"Kakashi-nii ended up being my sensei, and yes please!" I reply happily. 

I had never tried another type of ramen than what Ita-sensei had ordered for me the first time we came here. Besides, I was a regular. Both Teuchi and Ayame know what I like and how I like it.

"I saw both Iruka-san and Kakashi-san carrying you around yesterday. What was up with that?" he asks, starting the ramen. 

I blush in embarrassment that I was found out, especially by someone I admire so much, but I doubt that anyone else besides Ayame would've noticed. They're the only ones outside my ring of trusted confidants that actually care about me enough to watch the skies in hopes of seeing me pass.

"My immune system crashed from lack of chakra, so I got really sick, but I'm fine now," I explain. 

Teuchi chuckles in amusement at my odd attitude. I had always had a different outlook on most things. I suffered for a while, but it doesn't really matter. I had always been a rather optimistic person, and spinning things to a positive light is one of my talents. Plus, making people feel better is fun. People are so much prettier when they smile.

"Who are your other teammates?" he asks.

"Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura," I say monotonically, losing a bit of the sparkle from my eyes. 

I have no idea what our team dynamics will be like. I know everyone in the ANBU, so working in teams (not that I do it often) is usually easy. At least with my senseis, I already knew what I was getting myself into. Now, I know what I'm getting myself into, but I really dread the idea. I absolutely am not afraid of the damage that my ears will sustain from that shrieking banshee. If she would just get her head out of the Sasuke-kun gutter, then she'd actually be useful.

"Itachi-kun's little brother and a fangirl?" Teuchi clarifies. 

I merely groan, face-planting at the bar in front of me. Teuchi laughs at me, a loud, booming laugh, not unlike my own. Teuchi gives us our ramen and I slurp mine down as quickly as humanly possible. I ask what the time is the second I've pushed my bowl away from me.

"It's a few minutes past six, why?" Teuchi asks. I feel myself pale instantaneously.

"The bell test was supposed to start at six. This is what happens when you’re fucking blind," I mutter dryly. "Fuck. Gotta go!" I shout as I teleport to a Hiraishin seal near the meeting place. 

I activate my Sensory again, keeping it at the bare minimum, and take off at a non-chakra sprint towards where I knew the bridge was. I run up, barely managing to step onto the bridge and not into the river. 

'Being blind sucks, it sucks a lot. I hate my life. Kurama, please just let me die. I don't want to be blind anymore. I want to see. I bet that I'll be able to see in the afterlife. I get so used to my sensory that I forget what it’s like to exist without it!' 

**"Kit, noooooooooo. Stop it, I love you. I'll be your eyes. Had you actually missed the bridge, I would've stopped you,"** he swears. 

I giggle under my breath at his cuteness. He always gets so sweet whenever I want to yeet myself into the sun, because it would make his existence more difficult too.

**"Did you just call me cute?"** that dark, demonic voice asks darkly. 

‘Much dark,’ I easily suppress an involuntary shiver at the killing intent being thrust at me. 'Kurama, you know I love you, furball.' I think back teasingly.

**“Whatever. And you know that isn’t the only reason either. I do like you sometimes, kit,”** Kurama grumbles.

‘Awwwww, Kura-chan! You’re so sweet!’

"Am I late?" I ask Sasuke and Sakura with a gasp. 

I don't even bother trying to look my teammates in the eye (or even check if they're there, really), choosing to lean over with my hands on my knees to seem out of breath instead. 

'Hope I’m not talking to myself. Haha, being blind makes me make myself look like a wimp. Fuck life,'

"I'm honestly surprised that you showed up," Sakura says, luckily in a normal volume level so I don’t scream.

‘That doesn’t answer my question,’

**“Did you expect sense from that banshee, kit?”** Kurama asks.

‘Only sometimes, Kura,’

"Kakashi's not here yet, so you're fine," Sasuke adds. 

I breathe a sigh of relief. Yes, I hadn't bothered to look for Kakashi's location. That would've taken way too much chakra. Plus, I'm really lazy. 

‘He would’ve given me so much shit if I was later than him to a meeting,’

**“You never would’ve heard the end of it,”** Kurama agrees solemnly.

"I would've been on time if An-nee hadn't dragged me to Ichiraku's and forced me to eat something for breakfast," I grumble in annoyance.

“You ate ramen for breakfast?” Sasuke asks, horror-stricken.

“Well, yeah! Ramen is the best!” I cheer in response. “Besides, I haven’t gone grocery shopping in like over a month, so…” I finish sheepishly.

“How are you alive.” Sasuke deadpans.

"You don't even sound sick anymore." Sakura says in amazement, completely ignoring Sasuke and I’s exchange.

"Ah? Yeah. Kicked that nasty cold like two hours ago," I chuckle in embarrassment. 

I hate being in the spotlight when it comes to personal things. I'll let you put me in the spotlight dead-center for my fighting, just not my healing or anything that I consider to be private or personal. 

**“Aren’t you always front and center for ANBU stuff though?”**

‘Another reason why I question Hokage-sama’s judgement in making me of all people the commander of the ANBU,’

"And you're still here? You should be home resting!" Sakura scolds. 

I refocus back on the moment at hand. I tilt my head to the side, trusting my memory to look her in the eye. I have a very keen memory, and my body remembers the typical angle that it's at when I look at Sakura. Besides, I trust myself well enough. I just hope to kami-sama that I don't embarrass myself. That would be awkward.

"Did Kakashi-nii tell you about my immune system?" I ask. 

I certainly hope that he did because I don't want to have to explain it. Explaining things takes time and energy and frankly, I'm still a bit tired.

‘Explanations are troublesome,’ I grumble. 

**"You’re a lot tired, Naru-chan,"**

'Okay, a lot tired. I could probably fall asleep standing up, but that probably won't be a problem,' I hope.

"Yeah," Sasuke responds.

‘Refocus, Naruto,’

"Your immune system runs on chakra," he states stiffly. 

Sasuke seems a bit out of his element. Unnatural, almost. It reminds me of Itachi being forced to interact with strangers without help. Once he had been able to do that without looking at them like they were from planet anywhere-but-here, he was finally promoted to captain. It was a tad overdue.

‘Again, literally why am I the commander? I’m literally so inexperienced,’

"I'm just going to let you guys know now that I have to use the absolute bare minimum of chakra today. My chakra system is kind of fragile because I ran out yesterday, but I can still take the test," I say quickly, closing my eyes and turning my head to the side so that I don't have to look at them, because recalling where their eyes are takes effort, even if I'm good at it.

"Are you sure that you should even take the test?" Sasuke asks. 

'Does he sound worried?' I wonder.

**“Definitely not,”** Kurama drawls.

"I'll be fine," I reply. 

I really don't want anybody on my case. I know that it was stupid to use all of my chakra like that, but there wasn't any other choice. It's not like these two know that, though.

"But you'll be better if you don't take the test, right?" he points out. 

'Okay, seriously, why is he worried? I'm visibly fine and I'm not showing symptoms. I can handle it. He's totally underestimating me,' 

**"Kit, can you blame him? It's not like he knows that you're Kitsune-sama. He doesn't know what you're capable of, so cut him some slack,"**

'You, demanding slack for anyone other than yourself? Who are you and what did you do with my furball?' I demand teasingly before getting back to the situation at hand.

"I don't know what I'll do yet. If I don't think I can handle it, I'll just find a quiet place to lay down and sleep or something," I compromise. 

I really don't want to do that, so I'll just say that to make them both feel better. Master manipulator right here.

**“Such manipulate,”**

"Hey!" Kakashi exclaims as he poofs into existence. 

He even surprised me, and damn, I'm not good at handling surprises. I school my features in order to avoid screaming like a little girl.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Sakura screeches. 

Kakashi and I groan simultaneously at the eardrum-bursting sound. Sasuke grunts in annoyance. Sensitive ears suck, and Sasuke shoots us both an almost pitying glance, but me more so because he knows that I definitely have sensitive ears.

"Sorry, I got lost on the path of life," Kakashi says with fake innocence.

"This bullshit again?” I snap. “If you're going to lie, nii-san, come up with something believable like, 'I woke up late.' or, 'My boyfriend wouldn't let me leave the house without breakfast.' Geez, how dense can you get?" I complain noisily, just to piss him off. 

I'm grateful that he helped me out yesterday, but I hate feeling like an invalid and he knows that. Yet, he didn't even do anything to ease that feeling. Because he is responsible for my feelings. Obviously. Such health dynamic. The noise shall be a glorious revenge.

"Apparently not dense enough, seeing as how you haven't given up on me yet," he taunts in reply. 

There's a five second awkward silence in which I'm pretty sure that we're expected to laugh, but it honestly wasn't all that funny. I purse my lips and cough into my fist. 

"Anyway, let me explain your test," he says, grabbing what I'm pretty sure is two silver bells out of his kunai pouch, if the jingling is any indication. "You need to get a bell," he says, jingling the bells in a tantalizing manner. 

‘Jingle, jingle, jingly,’

"If you don't get a bell by lunchtime, you get tied to a stump and you'll be forced to watch me eat my lunch in front of you. If you don't get a bell at all, you'll be sent back to the academy," he explains. 

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Sakura pales drastically. I just sit there looking like he'd just killed my puppy, or in this case, my fox.

"B-but, sensei, there's only two bells," Sakura stutters in concern.

"That means that one of you will be sent back to the academy no matter what, huh?" Kakashi replies dubiously. "Start when I say," he instructs. 

I take off walking towards the trees, not waiting for whatever que he'll give them. 

"Naruto! Where are you going?" he calls.

"I'm going to go find a place to sleep. Don't bother me," I shout back, flipping him off over my shoulder just to piss him off. 

Sure, I can handle a simple bell test, but I want to see what the genin-to-be will do. They might actually get the point of this test, and besides, I'm not allowed to help them. They need to earn it on their own merits. 

‘We love it when Hokage-sama dictates my every action,’

"Get back here, you little shit!" Kakashi calls. 

I don't bother to look back. I activate one of my Hiraishin seals, teleporting elsewhere without a care. Hopefully, that will be enough of a hint that I can be fast if need be. Just because I have a cover to maintain doesn’t mean I have to care.

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

"Get back here, you little shit!" Kakashi yells angrily at Naruto. 

'He said that he's going off somewhere to sleep, so does that mean that he doesn't feel capable of doing this?' 

Suddenly Naruto vanishes into thin air. I scan for his chakra, but I can't locate anything. I'm not that great with sensing chakra signatures, but I should be able to sense the dobe's chakra signature, right? Well, Naruto did say that he's stronger than I think, and he's obviously fast. 

‘Maybe he does feel capable of participating,’ 

I try to ignore what just went down, even though our sensei is still grumbling about it under his breath. After all, Naruto's lack of effort means that I have a higher chance of passing. With two bells and two people, there's no reason for me to fight with him or Sakura.

"Okay, now that our third idiot has left, you can begin," Kakashi states calmly. 

He doesn't seem too distressed at the idea of going up against the rookie of the year and the top kunoichi. I calmly jump back into the trees, immediately taking off and masking my chakra signature. I hide in the trees, trying to formulate a plan.

'It will definitely be hard to beat Kakashi. I may be rookie of the year, but he's a jonin, and rumors say that he's ex-ANBU. Then again, I don't have to beat him. I just need to get a bell. I don't think that my taijutsu is on that level quite yet, though,' I think. 

Kakashi will definitely be a difficult opponent. 

'I'll probably be able to get help from Sakura if I need it,' I nod to myself. 'Now to locate him.' 

I scan for Kakashi's chakra, finding that he's not even attempting to hide it. He's underestimating us, but I guess that can work in my favor. I take off towards Kakashi's chakra signature.

**Kakashi's P.O.V.**

Now that Naru-chan has left, I can calm down and take it easy. I was slightly worried that he was going to try to humiliate me in front of the genin. Knowing him, he would succeed with his devious plan, too. I'd rather not face an extremely embarrassing defeat at the hands of a not-even-genin. 

It isn’t as if I’m not capable on my own. Naruto is just on an entirely other level. An incredible prodigy with plenty of experience and teachings to boot. He’s still just a kid, though. Shinobi are usually best young in general, but in this case, he’s at a disadvantage compared to more seasoned shinobi. 

But the second that I had told my other two potential students to begin, they'd leapt off into the trees. Based on their files and what Naru has told me about their personalities, I can assume that Sasuke will go for a more direct approach and that Sakura will simply sit there worshipping him. 

I sigh. I don't know why Naru and I had to get stuck with the pinkette. The team would've been better off with Hyuuga Hinata or Yamanaka Ino as the third ninja. Of course, that would’ve broken the other ideal patterns, which Hokage-sama was loath to do, therefore, Naruto and I are stuck with Sakura. She does have potential if she could just focus on herself more. Separation from Sasuke would be ideal for that, but no.

I activate my Sensory, keeping track of Sasuke's well-hidden chakra signature. If it had been anyone else, Sasuke would be considered perfectly hidden. He’s mastered the basic technique. I, however, am an S-ranked sensor-nin trained by the most powerful Sensory user of all time. 

Sakura's chakra signature is weak and hidden a bit, but it's evident that she really sucks at hiding her chakra. She's kind of following Sasuke, who's on his way here. They must be wondering why I'm not even bothering to hide my chakra signature. I barely notice when Sasuke's chakra signature changes, but the second it does, I'm up, alert, and in a defensive stance as his foot collides with my guard.

I see the frustration on his face and try not to laugh. After training so long with Naruto, these genin-to-be will be a piece of cake to deal with. Sasuke throws a few punches, adopting a guard of his own as I make a move. I go for a punch to the face, and he manages to block it. 

‘Good reaction time, at least,’ 

He tries to kick my legs out from under me, and I take the hit. Sasuke's eyes widen in shock as his foot makes contact with my ankle and I don't even budge. 

‘Let’s see if he can adapt,’

I change my taijutsu style to one similar to Kushina's and continue, making quick jabs at his face and neck. Sasuke manages to block all of my hits, but I'm pushing him back, and he's beginning to tire out. He's faster than the reports, which means that he must have purposely downplayed his own abilities, but that doesn't make sense based on his personality. He's hiding something. I doubt that I'm the first to notice, though.

‘Decent adaptability. He needs to loosen up, though,’

Sasuke leaps back and forms several hand signs in a quick succession. I can feel my eyes widen as I recognize the order. Itachi and Shisui had this jutsu mastered as genin as well, but I certainly didn't expect Sasuke to be that disciplined. His brother and cousin had gone from genin directly into the ANBU, after all.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu," I barely hear him whisper. 

‘At least he doesn’t scream his jutsu, like most kids at this age do,’

I leap back just in time to avoid the fairly large fireball. A genin level ninja shouldn't be able to perform that jutsu. A genin level ninja shouldn't be able to make a fireball of that size either. I guess Sasuke isn't your average genin. 

‘Following in the footsteps of my other Uchiha pupils, I suppose. Quite likely that Hokage-sama will recruit him straight away,’

I see a rapid movement through the flames and then I hear a jingle. I immediately use the Hiraishin to get the bells away from Sasuke. I gag a little at the nausea that accompanies Jiraiya and I’s unstable masterpiece.

I take a moment to take in Sasuke's appearance. He's winded and his face is slightly flushed. His skin is a bit paler than when this little scuffle started, but this genin-to-be made me use the Hiraishin. I was going easy on him to be sure, not even using my sharingan, but I didn't expect this level of skill from him, or any child outside of war time to be honest. 

His clothes are slightly singed because of his attempt to get the bells. It was impressive. Sasuke had used what must surely be his most powerful jutsu as a decoy. He willingly leapt through brilliantly hot flames in a solid attempt to get the bells. I wouldn't let anyone have these bells until they worked together for them, though. 

Sasuke immediately leaps into a defensive stance, preparing himself for my next attack. 

‘Good, most kids think that they can call a break whenever. Sasuke obviously knows otherwise already. One less thing that I’ll have to beat into this one,’

I think back to the almost-constant mental assaults I put Naruto through when he was little. It certainly wouldn't hurt to take Sasuke down a few notches. He's cocky, whether he downplayed his abilities in the academy or not. 

I need these genin to be as obedient as their undercover colleague. It'll be useful on missions when Naruto has to actually work to protect Sasuke. Unfortunately, if you don’t learn to at least fake obedience as a shinobi, your higher ups will devour you whole. Teaching these kids how to survive is my main objective with every student, from Itachi and Naruto to every student I’ve gotten rid of.

"You aren't even worth the effort," I huff, turning away in a bored manner and hiding a smirk. 

If he's cocky, the best thing to do is make him feel small and worthless. He’ll have to be able to take this mental assault if he wants to be a good shinobi and survive in this world where your superiors lie to you and your comrades stab you in the back.

"You think you can beat Itachi?" I ask, knowing that this is a taboo subject from his introduction yesterday. 

Sasuke growls a little, but remains mostly calm, keeping his temper in check and resisting the urge to do something stupid. 

‘Excellent. Self-control is incredibly important. Much better than I expected,’

"You're far too weak. I trained your brother and one of your cousins, and they were stronger than you while being far younger. I'm ashamed that you're the last Uchiha. You certainly don't live up to the name," I scoff.

That part hurts. I mean, sure, Itachi and Shisui were more advanced, but Itachi was an incredible prodigy and both grew up in chaotic times, when the academy was pumping out genin as soon as they could hold a kunai. Sasuke may not be the last Uchiha, but he certainly surpasses my expectations. He more than lives up to the name, and I hope to kami-sama that he never doubts it.

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

My blood is practically boiling. I can't believe he would say something like that. And I can't believe I was so close to getting a bell. If I remain level-headed, I might be able to take advantage of him turning his back on me. I don't give him another reaction. I wait for an opening. Kakashi turns that one eye towards me. That bastard actually looks amused.

"If you're going to try to kill him, you'd best not try to do it alone," Kakashi warns. 

Somehow, I get the feeling that he isn't really referring to me killing Itachi. Killing Itachi isn't even on my bucket list. I know that I need to get stronger. Is it a hint? Suddenly, Kakashi vanishes in a flash of gold like he did before when I nearly had a bell, but this time, he's nowhere in sight. It dawns on me. A genin could never hope to beat a jonin, at least not alone. I consider my teammates.

Didn't Naruto say he wasn't feeling well? Or what if he was just screwing around? Sakura could be helpful, maybe. All three of us together would have a better shot at taking Kakashi down, though. Sakura jumps out of a tree and her face lights up in a bright grin. If we work together, we might just be able to do it. There are only two bells, though. This will be difficult. I can't just abandon one of them. It would make me a terrible teammate. 

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura whisper-shouts. 

At least she has enough common sense to realize that her typical screeching would be a bad idea. I motion for her to come closer. Her smile gets bigger as she does. Naruto has sensitive hearing, and I’m willing to bet that Kakashi does as well.

"Listen, Sakura, we need to work together," I hiss. 

"Huh? You didn't get a bell?" she asks, astounded that her precious crush couldn't get a bell. Ick.

I shake my head. "There's no way a genin can take a jonin alone. Plus, there are rumors that he's ex-ANBU, and he trained the person who supposedly massacred my clan. He's crazy strong," I sigh. "We need to find Naruto. All three of us together would have a better shot at getting the bells,"

"That baka wouldn't be useful at all!" she protests. "Plus, there are two bells, not three," she points out. 

I sigh at the fact that she didn't pick up on the way that he simply vanished into thin air and that neither of us can track his chakra.

“Do you know what jutsu Naruto used earlier, when he vanished?” I ask.

“Well, no, I didn’t recognize it,” Sakura answers slowly.

“Neither did I, but I just saw Kakashi used it too, so it must be a pretty powerful jutsu,” I reply. “So Naruto must be pretty powerful too. He will be useful," I say sternly. "We're going to find Naruto and figure out a plan to take Kakashi down," 

Naruto is definitely stronger than anyone knows.

"But who will get the bells?" Sakura asks. She sounds a bit worried. 

"I have a feeling that who gets the bells won't be a problem, but I want to see if Naruto agrees with my theory. Kakashi said something to me about working together," I say softly.

"Why do you want that baka's opinion? There's no way he could come to the same conclusion you have!" she grumbles.

"He's known Kakashi for a lot longer than we have. And he does actually have a solid understanding of people, something I think both of us lack," I point out. 

Sakura's eyes widen a bit and she nods hastily. “That makes sense. He is really intuitive about that sort of stuff,” Her face flushes, embarrassed that she didn't reach that conclusion faster. 

“So maybe stop calling him an idiot,” I mutter.

Sakura looks sheepish. “Honestly, it’s mostly habit, but it isn’t very kind. I’ll try to at least curb it, though,” 

“You can’t break a habit formed over several years in a few minutes, I guess,” I reply.

I immediately scan for Naruto’s chakra, but he's still nowhere to be found.

"Can you sense him?" I ask. 

Sakura closes her eyes, focusing. I’m better than her when it comes to masking chakra, but she’s better at sensing it.

"No," she says softly, shaking her head and reopening her eyes. 

'Just as I suspected. He is good at hiding,' I think. ‘We’ll need to stay undetected if we want to beat Kakashi,”

"Then we'll just have to look around. Kakashi wouldn't let him leave the training ground," I grumble.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

I chuckle to myself as I release the jutsu I had used to spy on Kakashi. Using that fair amount of chakra was definitely worth it. 

**“No it wasn’t. Don’t be dumb,”** Kurama grunts.

Sasuke actually asked for help. It would have happened eventually, but to think that they're also searching me out is rather interesting. Sasuke must have taken the answers that I gave him to heart, or else he wouldn't risk not getting a bell himself. He wants revenge, and for that, he needs to be stronger. He won't get stronger as fast if he went back to the academy. 

**"Kit, stop using your chakra or go into Sage Mode. Seriously, you're going to make yourself sick again. What are you, dumb?"**

'Yeah, yeah. I know. Responsibility and all that jazz,' I reply. 

I sit up and move myself into a criss-cross-applesauce position. I close my eyes and meditate with my sensory turned off. Things are always a bit too overwhelming when I let myself fall into my sensory. Everything sharpens to an extent that my mind can’t handle, so turning off my mind is a must.

Time fades until all I know is the sound of my own breathing. Gathering nature chakra is something that I learned a long time ago. Jiraiya taught me the basics of it on one of my birthdays that he was able to come to. I’m a full-blown Sage, but Jiraiya promised that he would teach me once I officially made chuunin, and that one day I would take his place as the Toad Sage. I'm practically his son, so it makes sense.

Though, the toads don’t exactly get along with Kurama very well. Hopefully having the title officially transferred to me will help them get over it. For now though, nature chakra will serve as a nice boost to counteract my current weakness.

I hear a rustle behind me and perceive the faint sound of two people landing lightly on the ground at the edge of the forest. This is the one time that I don’t really mind being blind, when my senses sharpen so much that I don’t need sight in the first place. 

I continue with my meditating, listening to perceive where the intruders are moving. My senses are stronger than normal because of my blindness, but I also have Kurama and I'm in Sage Mode. There's not a sound in the world that could get past me right now. 

They're definitely moving towards me. They seem to be light and are trying not to make too much noise. I guess that I can appreciate the effort. I quickly apply a minor Henge around my eyes to get rid of the tell-tale signs of being in Sage Mode. 

**“Chakra usage!”** Kurama complains.

‘Oh, hush. I can do a henge like this in my sleep, Kura,’

"Naruto?" Sasuke asks unsurely. 

I open an eye and cock my head to the side to show that I'm listening. I can't see, and it bothers me, but the advanced hearing and smell is almost making up for it. This strange balance of nature chakra without my sensory can be disconcerting.

"What are you doing, Naruto?" Sakura asks at a normal sound level. 

'Good. Her screeching would have hurt even more than usual right now,'

**“Eugh, loud noises while you’re like this sucks,”** Kurama gripes.

‘So it’s good that she’s being somewhat considerate,’

"Meditating" I reply simply.

"I didn't know that someone so hyperactive like you knew how to sit still" she sneers. 

I hum in response.

"Sakura. You said that you’d try," Sasuke hisses in warning. 

“Ah, yeah,” she winces. “Sorry, Naruto,”

I straighten my head. “It’s fine. You don’t have to like me,” 

There’s a long moment of silence. "Naruto, I need to ask you something," Sasuke says softly. He seems almost unsure, but not quite. It's something else.

"What?" I snap in irritation. Their presence is beginning to bother me.

"The point of the bell test is teamwork, right?" he asks.

"No duh, rookie of the year," I sigh. Sasuke mulls over the information I've given him for a moment, thinking carefully. 

"Work with us to get a bell," Sasuke says.

"Is that an order, captain?" I taunt.

"No, it's a request," he states simply.

"Hmm," I consider. I tilt my head to the side thoughtfully for show. "No," I decide.

"Why not, baka?! You should be honored that Sasuke-kun is even talking to you!" Sakura screeches. 

My hands snap up to cover my ears as I wince. 

'Why the hell did she have to screech like that?' 

**"Because she doesn't know how to control herself once someone insults her precious Sasuke-kun because she is a banshee,"** Kurama's tails lash angrily in my head. His ears are also covered. Sage Mode makes us both extra sensitive.

"You alright?" Sasuke asks softly. He kneels next to me and puts his hand on my shoulder. I take a deep breath.

"Just fine." I grit out. It's annoying that I can't even control my own reactions. “You both should just leave me alone,”

"Your ears are sensitive," Sasuke points out, his voice just above a whisper.

"No duh, baka," I growl in irritation.

"Sakura, keep your voice down," Sasuke orders softly.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Sakura mutters. “I’m sorry, Naruto. I didn’t mean to hurt your ears,” The ringing in my ears slowly fades.

"My answer remains the same, Sasuke," I say softly, just barely loud enough for Sakura to hear me.

"Will you tell us why you don't want to work with us at least?" Sasuke asks quietly.

"Because I don't work with people that I don't trust," I say harshly. My eyes are still closed, an excuse to not look at them.

"So it isn’t that you feel like you can't handle the test, then," Sakura concludes. "You were giving us a better chance at passing ourselves. Why would you do that?" she asks. 

'So she's actually analyzing the situation? Alright, I'll play along.'

**“Actually using that brain that she’s supposedly renowned for? Novel concept,”** Kurama growls.

"Because I don't care if I pass right now," I state simply. 

‘Let’s see what they say to that. I’m just as interested in testing them as Kakashi is. I wonder if they’ll fall for my mind games,’ 

I feel Sasuke shift beside me.

"If you aren't going to be on my team, then what's the point of trying to pass the test myself?" Sasuke asks. 

He had shifted to sit next to me on the ground. My eyes widen and I activate my Sensory as I gape at him. 

"I have a chance to be on the same team as the person who taught me how to throw a kunai. I'm not just going to throw that away. Especially since you’re already supposed to be a year ahead of us," he explains. 

Still, I can't believe that he would just give up. He has an alternative reason. He doesn't care about something like that. The Sasuke that I know now is too prideful for something like this.

‘But I haven’t seen him since our conversation. The conversation that rattled the entire foundation of our relationship,’

"Wait, what?" Sakura asks, bewildered.

"Naruto taught me how to throw a kunai when I was little, before the academy," Sasuke states.

"But that's not possible!" she exclaims. I flinch slightly. "I mean, um, he's terrible at throwing them now, so how is that possible?" she asks much quieter.

"He's a liar," Sasuke shrugs. 

Sakura stares at him for a minute, then she looks at me. She suddenly moves to my other side and plops down next to me. 

'I'm really confused now. They're acting totally out of character,' 

**"Kit, people aren't always predictable. You don't know their every thought and emotion, so it can be difficult to judge just what someone's made of. Don’t be too surprised,"**

"If Sasuke-kun couldn't get a bell by himself, then what chance do I have?" she asks herself. "Besides, I wouldn't want to be all alone. I'd much rather be with you guys," she says softly. 

I can sense Sasuke looking at her, and for some reason, it makes me a bit angry that he's paying attention to her. I ignore the odd feeling and wait to see who budges first. Kakashi's chakra signature is coming in our direction, though.

"Anyone know what time it is?" I ask. Not being able to see the sun to determine the time really kind of sucks.

"It's almost lunch time. Why?" Sakura asks.

"Weren't we supposed to get a bell by lunch or else we'll be tied to stumps and forced to watch Kakashi eat?" Sasuke muses.

"Oh, yeah," Sakura agrees.

"Hmm, well he's coming for us," I state emotionlessly.

"What?!" they whisper-scream. I smirk subconsciously at their reactions.

"Why, hello there, my adorable genin-to-be," Kakashi jeers as he lands on the ground. "You're out of time for the morning part of this test, however, it's pretty amusing to see you all together," he taunts.

"Oi, sensei, mind helping me out a bit?" I ask haughtily. 

"Why would you ever think you could request something from me, dead-last?" he taunts. 

I'm well used to his mental torment, though. He always picked on everyone, making sure that they know their place in the hierarchy of ninja. Being able to withstand a mental barrage is absolutely essential to becoming a good shinobi. Besides, I know just which cards to play to bend the puppy to my will.

"Because I thought my onii-san loved me," I sniffle sadly, turning up the dramatics. I sense Kakashi flinch. "Poor kaa-san doesn't know that nii-san doesn't love Naru-chan," I muse sadly.

**“You’re really laying it on thick, kit,”** Kurama laughs.

"Okay, okay, oh my kami." he huffs. "You know I'm a stickler for tears. Gosh. C'mon," he says, motioning for me to come towards him. 

I use the Hiraishin seal right in front of him, reappearing with a knife to his neck. My eyes open in a deadly glare that has made grown Uchiha ANBU shake in their boots on every occasion.

"Restart the clock, now," I order, narrowing my eyes further. 

I tighten my grip on the kunai, which is pressed with a dangerous pressure against Kakashi's throat, and effectively causes one of my knuckles to pop menacingly. I sense Kakashi flinch harshly. Kurama’s presence has enhanced my glare since my early childhood, practically making my face into a weapon.

"Okay, yeah. No problem," he squeaks in fear. 

I hear the timer click into place for three hours and hear Kakashi toss it on the ground away from himself. 

"There," Kakashi breathes.

I take my kunai from his throat. "Move." I order. 

I sense a brisk nod, and the chakra change for a shunshin, and that body vanishing in a golden flash.

"Come on," I say stiffly, motioning to my two teammates. 

"Huh?" Sakura asks. "I thought you said that you weren't interested in passing,"

"I'm not, but I'm not going to let you two fail just because I'm as lazy as a Nara right now," I say stiffly.

"What if we still don't want to pass?" Sasuke asks curiously.

"Then I'll make you get off your ass and pass, gaki," I growl, ensuring I don’t leak any killing intent at the mentally fragile genin-to-be. 

I'm not just going to let them fail. They know the reason of the test, so now they need to pass. That’s the way this works.

"Okay, okay," Sasuke huffs, climbing to his feet, Sakura following suit.

"Okay, first we'll need a plan. We know that Sakura can hit really hard, she just needs a distraction to get in close enough to deliver a few hits. Sasuke, do you have enough chakra for another Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu?" I ask.

"Yeah. Do you want that to be a distraction for Sakura to get in close?" he clarifies, not paying any heed to the fact that I said another.

"Yep. Sasuke uses his Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu as a way to distract Kakashi. Normally, Kakashi wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice, but right now, he’s toning it down to give us a chance, so it should work. Then, Sakura comes in and delivers as many hits as she can in a quick succession while Sasuke supports her with kunai and shuriken. I'll wait for an opening and use my Hiraishin no Jutsu to grab the bells. The goal is to distract Kakashi fully, but once I go, he won't be able to stop me, and it'll be too late for him to use a Hiraishin seal," I say easily. Explaining things and making tough decisions has always come easily to me. "Are we agreed?" I ask.

"It seems foolproof," Sakura says in a thoughtful manner.

"It should be. The fool came up with it," I chuckle lightly. 

“You aren’t a fool, Naruto. You might not be known for your book smarts, but you aren’t stupid,” Sakura protests. 

I startle a bit, gaping at her. “Thanks, I guess,” I mutter. "Follow me, I've already tracked Bakashi's chakra," I order stiffly, recovering myself.

“How can you sense his chakra? I can’t even get a read on him,” Sakura complains.

"Sakura, just be glad that he can," Sasuke pleads. It's amusing to hear him so desperately defending me.

I don't wait for them to work it out. I dash forward, using chakra to propel myself off the ground and into a tree. 

**"Kit, you do realize that you can't use Sensory full time today, right?"**

'Yeah, why?' 

**"Running through the trees like this is stupid because you need to focus your Sensory, right?"** Kurama huffs. 

'Shit, you're right!' 

I immediately jump out of the tree I'm in and dash across the ground, weaving through the trees to use less chakra. I barely notice my speed increasing to something similar to my normal speed, and immediately slow down, cursing myself for such a stupid mistake. 

‘Again, why am I the spy here?’

**"Kit, your mask is slipping,"** Kurama warns. 

'I know! I know! Kami! I can't keep up! I'm so overwhelmed! With everything that's going on, I don't even have a second to breathe!' 

**"Kit, calm down. I know that you're stressed, but at least wait until you get home to have a complete breakdown. You're speeding up again,"**

'God damnit! That's it!' I snap, slowing myself down again and keeping half a thought on Sasuke and Sakura's chakra signatures. 'Tonight!' 

**"What? Naru-chan, your thoughts are so scattered that I can't even tell what you're thinking!"**

'You're teaching me fuinjutsu tonight! I need to expand my chakra stores again! I need to get some control back!' 

**"Kit, I'm happy that you finally want to learn fuinjutsu, but this isn't the way. You need to rest, not work. You need to just take some time to relax,"** he scolds. 

'Kurama! I don't have time to relax. I'm an undercover ANBU on a genin team doing ANBU missions, meeting with other undercover operatives, and working for that asshole Danzo JUST TO KEEP MY CHARGE SAFE!!!!' 

**"KIT, SHUT UP! I KNOW ALL OF THAT! YOU STILL NEED TIME TO RECOVER! YOU AREN'T SUPERHUMAN!"**

'JUST BE HAPPY I AGREED TO IT!' 

I immediately lock down my thoughts, shutting Kurama out of my head to cool down. His anger makes me even more upset. It’s a loop of constant feedback. His anger feeds mine and my anger feeds his. I can't take it anymore. My entire world has been slowly crumbling for years.

"Naruto!" I hear Sasuke call as quietly as he can. 

Just then, I realize just how far his and Sakura's chakra signatures are from me. I jump up into a tree and make my way to them, ignoring Kurama as I feel his irritation seep into me.

"Sorry," I say quietly as I land in front of them. "You guys good?" I ask. 

Sakura is still gasping for breath with her hands on her knees and Sasuke seems a bit winded. My speed is difficult for practiced shinobi to keep up with, much less freshly minted genin. They did admirably, though.

‘Note to self: drill their speed and endurance,’

"Yeah, we're good. Didn't know you were that fast," he breathes.

"Sorry, I got lost in thought and wasn't paying attention. It won't happen again," I say apologetically.

"Don't... worry... about it..." Sakura says between sharp gasps. 

I wince slightly at how winded she is. She's surprisingly weak for the top kunoichi of the graduating class. She's smart if she gets her head out of the gutter labeled "Sasuke-kun". She's nearly as smart as Shikamaru if she tries. She'd be a good strategist some day, but for now, we'll need to work on her physical strength. 

'I'll need to have Kakashi-nii set them up on an exercise regimen,' I think to myself, Kurama still fuming in the depths of my mind.

"You alright?" Sasuke asks softly. I look up suddenly, realizing that I had been staring at my feet with furrowed eyebrows as I thought.

"Uh? Yeah, fine, why?" I stutter slightly. 

A screw must be loose because I'm usually never surprised so easily. Sasuke managed to catch me off guard, and that's not good. 

"You looked troubled, and you're tense," Sasuke points out lightly. 

As he says it, I realize just how tightly my shoulders are tucked into my body and how stiff my back feels. I feel the blood rush to my face in embarrassment. Kurama's irritation is getting to me. I pray to whatever deity is out there that I'm not blushing.

"Sorry," I say quickly. I notice that Sakura has caught her breath again. "Are we good to go?" I ask.

"Yeah. I'm good. Sorry," she says stiffly. 

I make a note about the tone in her voice, telling myself to investigate her slightly upset manner later. I jump out of the tree, easily landing in a crouch and start running again, this time at a much slower pace. I keep my Sensory range as low as I can while still keeping Kakashi in my mind's eye.

**Third Person P.O.V.**

Kakashi Hatake stands in a clearing in the forest, patiently awaiting his genin-to-be. Now that Naruto was getting himself involved, Kakashi knew that he'd have to pay attention. No doubt that the little genius managed to make a foolproof plan to take him down already. He mentally cursed himself for showing such weakness in front of the genin. 

Naruto usually never startles him that badly. Kakashi focused his chakra as he used Sensory to try to track his pupils' chakra signatures, but he couldn't locate any of his students. 

'Naruto is hiding their chakra,' he thought. 

A set of onyx eyes watches Kakashi shift in discomfort. The onyx eyes locked onto a set of green eyes. Both figures, hidden in the trees, nod sharply to each other. Sasuke leaps out of his tree and immediately performs Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu. 

Kakashi jumps back, slightly panicked at his student's sudden arrival. Almost immediately, he feels a hard hit to the gut. He looks down, locking an eye with the pink-haired kunoichi. Kakashi catches her other fist and tries to jump back, but a kunai whizzed past his face, forcing him to stay in his current position. Sakura yanks her arm free and goes for another hit, which Kakashi blocks. 

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

I carefully monitor the fight between Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi, waiting for the opening I know Kakashi will give me. Copying someone's fighting style has its perks. I can’t afford to wait too long, though. The balance is tenuous. 

I carefully manipulate my chakra to form a new Hiraishin seal. As I complete my seal, I feel my violet eye begin to ache in a familiar manner. Every time I did something relating to fuinjutsu, that eye would ache just a bit. After a bit of research, we figured out that the violet eye was a doujutsu mimic, a little physical manifestation of chakra, that would allow me to achieve advanced fuinjutsu techniques along with my clan's jutsus easier. 

I turn my attention back to the fight and sense Kakashi raise his headband, exposing his Sharingan eye. 

'He's right not to underestimate me. Too bad, he isn't suspecting that I'll use the Hiraishin.' 

Kakashi draws back a bit, his right leg just a tad unsteady. 

'There!' 

I immediately activate my Hiraishin seal. My hand darts out, snagging the bells by their ribbons. I stand with my back to my team, the light jingle from the bells making everyone freeze. I feel a grin curl my lips. I toss both bells over my shoulder, one hitting Sakura on the head and Sasuke catching the other one.

"Damn," Kakashi mutters.

"Good job, Naruto!" Sakura cheers as she picks up her bell and twirls in a circle.

"Naru, you know what not having a bell means for you, right?" Kakashi asks. 

I deactivate my Sensory, but I deduce that Sasuke and Sakura's moods instantly dropped. I close my eyes lightly.

"I pass?" I ask jokingly.

"Naru." Kakashi scolds.

I sigh. "What?" I ask. 

"That means you go back to the academy," he says strictly.

"No way!" Sakura screeches. I feel my lips curl up a bit more. 

"The test was about teamwork!" Sasuke protests. Now, I'm grinning widely, my face still hidden. 

'Their panic over such a small thing is endearing.'

"The objective was to get a bell, Naruto didn't," Kakashi says in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Actually," I hum. "Didn't you say, 'If you don't get a bell at all, you'll be sent back to the academy'?" I say, mimicking Kakashi and turning towards my team, a smirk on my lips and mischief in my eyes.

"Yes, I did, and as you know, Sasuke and Sakura have the bells, not you," Kakashi points out. 

'Hm, he didn't say "as you can see". Did he already figure out that I'm not using Sensory, or is he just being respectful? If he keeps that up, he might expose the fact that I'm blind, however, I doubt that Sakura and Sasuke will figure it out.'

"If you don't get a bell at all, hm? Didn't I get a bell though?" I question.

"You don't have a bell now," Kakashi says sternly. Sakura makes an 'oh' noise.

"You never told us that we had to end up with a bell, Kakashi-sensei. You only said we had to get a bell, but you never said how long we had to have it in our possession," Sakura states. 

Sasuke smirks, making a sound of approval. Kakashi pales slightly.

"Damn," he mutters. I chuckle slightly at the hole in his explanations. "Alright, team 7 officially passes," he huffs. "Oh, damn, what do I do with you now?" he asks himself.

"What do you mean, Kakashi-nii?" I ask. I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Your buddy is being an asshole and I said that I wouldn't be done with you 'til three in the afternoon. He's demanding to speak with me, and I just keep putting it off," Kakashi says.

"Which buddy? You have to be clear." I scold.

"Danzo," Kakashi shivers.

"That pig-headed, stubborn, asshole, miserable excuse for a human being, and you're calling him my buddy! What the hell!?" I shout, pointing an accusing finger at Kakashi and reactivating my Sensory to make sure that I'm looking him in the eye.

"Hey, you're the one always doing stuff for him!" Kakashi shouts back.

"Yeah, against my will!" I respond. 

'Kami-sama! First I get into a fight with Kurama and now I'm arguing with Kakashi! Why the hell is today just not my day?!'

"It doesn't matter if you're willing or not, as long as you do it!" he replies angrily.

"That's like saying a rape victim asked their attacker to attack them!" I shout. Kakashi gasps sharply and I feel blood rush to my face in embarrassment.

‘And I can say that because I am a rape victim! So suck on that, Bakashi!’

"That's not how I meant it and you know it," Kakashi sighs. 

"Shut up," I mutter, turning my back to him again. 

'The incident is coming up a lot lately, isn't it?' I think, once again gaining no response from Kurama.

"I'm sorry?" Kakashi tries. 

"I don't forgive you." I growl.

"What's going on?" Sakura asks in confusion. I feel my eyes widen momentarily. I forgot that Sasuke and Sakura were even here.

"Nothing!" I squeak, my face turning even more red. 

Kakashi chuckles at my reaction. They don't need to know what happened on those two days. No one ever needs to know ever again. It's a secret that I'll take to my grave.

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	15. A New Mission and "Bond With Each Other, Damn It!"

**Chapter 15 - A New Mission, and “Bond With Each Other, Damn It!”**

**Author's Note: Today's chapter is pretty long, enjoy!**

**Editor’s Note: Honestly, I had nothing interesting to say in some of these notes. Check out my links in my bio and maybe purchase some cool stuff from my Redbubble!**

**Chapter 15**

**Three Months Later - Naruto's P.O.V.**

I sigh as I climb out of bed. 

'Another day of these goddamn D-rank missions. Fucking kill me. Hokage-sama better give me something damn good to do tonight. I'm so bored,' 

**"Kit, stop complaining. It's not my fault you mastered the chakra seals so fast,"** Kurama whines. 

'I just want something fun to do! Think Hokage-sama would give me clearance to train in jinchuuriki mode?' 

**"You know that it's out of his hands. The council forbade it,"**

'Ugh, I know, but kami-sama! If they want to be safe from you, shouldn't they allow me to train to control your chakra?' 

**"You know that those old fools aren't logical, Naru-chan,"**

'I hope I get a mission out of the village,' I sigh. Kurama chuckles. 

I feel like I'm going stir-crazy. Hokage-sama reduced my number of ANBU missions, and he officially recruited Kakashi, Iruka, and Anko to take over the missions no one else wants to do that I would usually handle. 

'Don't I owe the old man a report about that last assassination mission I did?' I ask. 

**"Yeah. You never did turn that in. It's been a month, so you probably should,"** Kurama replies. 

'Written reports are so troublesome,' I complain. 

**"You know that he's trying to keep Danzo satisfied,"**

'You mean the asshole.' I point out. 

It isn't even a question. Danzo is just a selfish, sadistic bastard who I really want to murder slowly. Kurama howls with laughter.

I sense a messenger bird flying in circles by my window and quickly move to open it. The bird lands easily on my windowsill and stands still as I untie the note from it's leg. I stare with unseeing eyes at the little piece of paper folded into a square. 

'I don't wanna focus my Sensory! It's too hard!' I complain to myself. 

I focus my Sensory begrudgingly, ranting in my thoughts about how much I hate bloody notes. After a good ten minutes, I make out, "Naru-kun, Please make a big fuss about wanting a C-rank mission today when your team comes in for a mission. I have one that I believe to be A-rank, and I can't give it to anyone else. I'm sorry for endangering your charge, but please bear with me. There is suspected Akatsuki movement in the area, not to mention a tycoon named Gato who likely hired missing-nins to take out the client. - Sarutobi" I sigh to myself and turn to the bird. 

"Can you believe this guy? Hokage-sama is purposefully endangering my charge and sending me into Akatsuki territory. Jackass-sama. Message received, little guy," I sigh. 

The bird chirps and takes flight back to Hokage tower. I sigh in frustration. This is something that I had been worrying about since this mission started. Sasuke's first C-rank mission that would turn A-rank because I'm an ANBU. Not just any ANBU, but Kitsune-sama, the ANBU commander. This is the end of Sasuke and Sakura's normal career as shinobi. Hardly any of the Uchiha had typical shinobi lives, Sasuke included. 

'And to think all I wanted was for Sasuke to live normally. How ironic,'

**Sarutobi's P.O.V.**

I hear a knock at my door. "Enter." I call out. I don't even look up to see who it is. If they're smart, they'll do what they need to do and get out. I sigh in frustration for the ninetieth time in an hour and rub one of my temples as I try to decipher my lovely commander's jutsu-provided handwriting. It's rather annoying that Naruto's blind. Speaking of him, that bird I sent to him never came back, so what did he do with it?

"Still can't find it, Hokage-sama," Iruka says from beside me, still sifting through piles of scrolls. "By the way, team 7," he mutters. 

I groan lowly and look up. Kakashi's reading his porn, Sasuke's watching me in amusement as Sakura watches him with hearts in her eyes, and Naruto's eyes glitter with amusement as he picks a scroll up off the ground and puts it on top of another pile of paperwork that somehow materialized in the time that I've been focusing on this one. Sasuke and Sakura look a bit more fit than when they graduated, so I suppose that Kakashi has been doing something, unlike any other time.

"What'cha looking for, jii-san?" Naruto asks in a taunting manner.

"A report from Kitsune-sama. You wouldn't happen to know where that is, would you?" I ask threateningly. 

If I've had Iruka looking for it all morning when he hasn't even turned it in yet, I might just kill him.

"Is it the one about that assassination mission a month ago?" Naruto asks mischievously. 

Goddamn it, he didn't even turn it in. I should've figured. And I’m too tired to care if the genin think that our interaction is odd.

"Yes it is," I grit out. Naruto chuckles at my irritation.

"I wouldn't know anything about that," he hums.

"Oh, don't you? I need it here before lunch time, otherwise Kitsune-sama is going to know pain like never before," I chuckle darkly. 

Naruto's eyes widen and he visibly pales. Sakura and Sasuke cast him confused glances and Kakashi smirks behind his mask. If it isn't here by then, I'll hand him over to Ibiki or have Kurenai trap him in a genjutsu of horrors. That would teach him to turn in his reports on time.

"If I see him I'll let him know," he says in a rush.

"That will do nicely, thank you." I smile. "Now, for team 7's next mission." I unroll the scroll of D-rank missions, waiting for Naruto to do his thing. "We have babysitting the councilor's grandson, weeding a garden, catching Tora," At that, everyone on team 7, aside from Kakashi screams, "No!" Iruka goes pale and Kakashi makes gagging noises. The two ANBU guards in the office gawk like children at their commander as he proceeds to pout like a child. "Okay, then," I say awkwardly. Even I wasn't expecting the stoic Uchiha to shout out in protest.

"Old man!" Naruto shouts. I hold back a grin. "I'm sick of these baby missions! Give me something better!" he shrieks, effectively imitating Sakura. 

I nearly chuckle, and the ANBU look absolutely horrified. The older of the two has been working with Naruto for years and even learned sign language to communicate with him. The thought that Naruto is now screeching at the top of his lungs in front of him makes it nearly impossible not to laugh.

"For once, I agree with the dobe," Sasuke huffs.

"Y-yeah, me too!" Sakura stutters. 

Kakashi and Iruka regard Naruto carefully. After all, their beloved taichou never does anything without reason. The two ANBU behind me chuckle slightly. They must have figured out that he's doing this in order to achieve something.

I consider the two genin and two secret ANBU before me, drawing out my pondering. Naruto fidgets just a bit. 

"Hmm, alright," I say just loudly enough for them to hear. "I'll give team 7 their first C-rank mission," I announce.

"Hokage-sama, are you sure that they're ready?" Iruka asks, genuinely concerned. 

He obviously knows that Naruto will be fine, he goes on S-rank missions alone all the time. He's probably worried that Naruto will do something foolish while protecting Sasuke. Which is certainly a possibility.

"I'm sure that they can handle it, my little dolphin-chan," Kakashi says, stepping forward to bop Iruka on the nose. "Plus, I'll be there with them," he chuckles. Iruka sighs loudly.

"You aren't all-powerful, baka," Iruka scolds.

"Oh, I figured that out the first time I fought with Kitsune-sama," Kakashi says, grinning behind his mask. I chuckle at the two undercover ANBU.

"What's the mission?" Naruto asks loudly. "Are we going to be protecting a princess or something cool?" he shouts with stars in his eyes.

"Sadly, this one isn't quite that, 'cool,' but I'm sure you'll have a fun time," I sigh. "When's the last time you were out of Konoha? That meeting with the Kazekage and his children?" I chuckle sentimentally. 

Naruto had been so serious meeting the Kazekage himself, taking his duties as jinchuuriki very seriously, but when the Kazekage’s children were introduced and Naruto met Gaara, his eyes lit up and he proceeded to drag the the three children outside to play a game with him. It was one of the only times I had seen Naruto act like a child.

"Yeah, I remember that!" Naruto grins. He must be remembering how much fun he and Gaara had had back then. 

'Did he ever keep up with Gaara?' I ponder. ‘I almost hope not. Two powerful jinchuuriki joining forces would be potentially disastrous,’ 

Sasuke and Sakura shoot me a confused glance and Kakashi and Iruka smirk at their confusion. They have no idea what we're talking about, and that must be rather disconcerting to them.

"Well, you won't be going to Suna this time, Naru-kun," I turn to the ANBU. "Show our client in please," I ask, folding my hands in my lap and resisting the urge to light my pipe. 

I wouldn't want Naruto scolding me about how bad it is for me. The last time he did that, he threatened to set Kurama on me. That wouldn’t be an ideal situation.

"Well, what are we doing?" Naruto whines. I get the feeling that the crestfallen look on his face isn't totally false. 

'He probably wanted to see Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro.'

"You will be protecting a bridge builder on his way back to his home in the Land of Waves," I state clearly and emotionlessly. 

Naruto's eyes widen a fraction. I can practically see his mind making the connections. Gato is a well-known businessman in the Land of Waves. If there is suspected Akatsuki movement then that could pose a problem with Sasuke attacking Itachi, or of course if the team in the area isn't Itachi's, then Naruto would have to use his true power to protect Sasuke. 

If missing ninja are being hired by Gato, then ninja from Kirigakure no Sato will likely have been hired due to their jutsu specialty. And most importantly, everyone will be trying to kill the client because his bridge will disrupt Gato's strict rule. The door opens again, the two ANBU escorting in a rather drunk bridge builder. 

'Uh oh, Naru won't like this. I suppose I’ll see if he can restrain himself. Useful information,' 

"Huh, ur tellin me dese gakiz ur neenja?" he slurred as he locked eyes on two young genin and the young Kitsune-sama. 

Naruto's nose crinkles in disgust as he looks over the client, though Naruto has never been particularly good at maintaining a poker face. Tazuna is visibly drunk, his shirt is wrinkled and has stains on it, and his pointed hat is on lopsided. 

"Well, we'll obviously be leaving sometime tomorrow," Kakashi says chirpily. 

I see his eye scan over the client as well before flickering to Naruto. I see some sort of realization in Kakashi's eye as he makes note of the level of Naruto's displeasure in the state of their client.

‘So Kakashi sees the potential problem as well,’

"Hokage-sama," Naruto says darkly. I can feel a tiny bit of killing intent coming from him. I gulp. Kakashi watches, tensing slightly to intervene if necessary. "What is the meaning of this." he states. 

It isn't even a question. He's simply demanding an explanation for why I've set him up with a drunk. I resist the strong urge to jump behind my ANBU guards. Naruto is quite possibly stronger than me, and I've seen him face his enemies before. I don't want to be on the receiving side of that deadly accuracy and throat-slitting fury.

"Hokage-sama, it appears as though you've angered our dear Naru-chan," Iruka chuckles. 

It always amuses my ANBU that I myself am afraid of Naruto, but honestly, there isn't a person that has seen him in action who doesn't fear that raw power. He's so young, and practically god-like. 

'That power that he possesses very well might destroy the world one day. I'm surprised that he hasn't realized it's there yet. Maybe he has, and he's just biding his time until he starts questioning it. I don't want that immense power against the village. I'll have to make sure that he isn't swayed to the side of the Akatsuki or Orochimaru in an attempt to protect Sasuke. I must ask Kakashi to keep an especially watchful eye on this mission.'

"Yes, yes, it does," I gulp. 

I try to rid myself of the dark thoughts, but the things he could do with that power are terrifying to even think about. It's a difficult thing to ignore such a dangerous possibility. Naruto’s loyalty is absolutely essential to the survival of Konoha, after all. Not that he has much of a reason to be loyal.

"Naruto, try to be mature," Kakashi pleads. 

No one seems to notice the direction of my thoughts. Even Naruto seems to be oblivious. 

'For now.' 

Naruto turns his narrowed eyes in Kakashi's direction and I watch in expertly concealed amusement as Kakashi jumps and pales. They may laugh at me for being afraid of him, but they can't deny that they're just as afraid of him as I am.

"I believe I am being quite mature, pup," he snaps. "A drunken bridge builder, seriously?" he shouts, turning to me. "You just love to make my life suck, don't you?!" he exclaims in frustration.   
  


I do try not to make his life horrible, it just turns out that way. I'll need to make sure that he's happy and satisfied unless I want him to turn against the village. The idea of the boy who I consider to be my grandson turning against the village just breaks my heart.

"That is never my intention." I state simply, doing my best to ignore my own thoughts. 

Naruto's temper-tantrums are typically amusing, but I'll have to keep his anger to a minimum before I lose him and the power he possesses.

"That is never your intention my ass!" he growls. 

I know that he doesn't really believe that I want to make his life difficult, but the fact that he's willing to have this conversation here in front of Sasuke, Sakura, and a drunken client eludes to the level of his frustration. 

'I need to find out why he's so irritable. The fact that he's this irritated leaves me uneasy. I can't lose him. I'll need to fix this upon his return. It would be preferable to do it before he leaves, but that isn't an option with the current time frame.' 

My ANBU guards snap to attention at Naruto's tone. Naruto usually speaks gruffly when he isn't acting. 

'They've been trained well.' I note in amusement. 

Their taichou should be proud of how responsive they are. 

'He's done well so far, I just hope that when his reasons for remaining loyal to the village run out that he can find the courage to stay anyway. If I were to die, how would he react? Would the village suffer? Would he betray them? These are all things to consider. I'm going to have to secure his loyalty before I die, or else he may turn against the village. I hate to consider it, but it must be done. I cannot allow someone who holds so much power turn his back on the village.' 

"I'm going to kill you when I get back, but I will do the mission, if only because I think it sounds like a blast," he sighs. 

The older of the two ANBU chuckles slightly, his shoulders relaxing a tiny bit. We all know that Naruto wouldn't hurt a fly that belongs to this village.

"Thank kami-sama for that," I huff. 

Naruto glares at me again. I feel a shudder run up my spine. 

'Yes, that power is quite dangerous. I need to make sure that his loyalty remains with the village. The village has harmed him so much that I honestly wouldn't blame him if he did turn his back on Konoha. If I were him, I would've done it long ago. Giving him the responsibility that comes with commanding the ANBU gives him a reason to stay, even if he isn’t truly ready for it. It’s excellent preparation for when he becomes Hokage himself, though,’

Tazuna jerks forward, staring at Naruto intently. Naruto doesn't recoil, but I can tell by the stiffness in his shoulders that he definitely has the urge to. Naruto meets his gaze, and it's honestly a bit freaky. Naruto is blind, and yet he doesn't appear to be. It's rather disconcerting. 

Naruto raises an eyebrow and slowly backs away as Tazuna continues to lean closer to him. Sasuke and Sakura look quite confused by this entire exchange. I almost pity them. I believe that they're beginning to realize that they don't truly know Naruto very well at all. 

"Waz wid ur eys gaki?" Tazuna suddenly slurs. 

Naruto's eyes widen marginally and he shoves the bridge builder away from him firmly. I'm not even surprised at his actions. Sakura looks a bit flabbergasted at his actions, but everyone else seems pretty at ease despite Naruto's harsh reaction.

"Nothing that you need to know about, sir," Naruto snarls as Tazuna lands roughly on the ground. 

‘Some level of professionalism, at least,’

I reach a hand up to massage my temple as I sigh. Naruto's always had a hard time keeping his cool when it comes to his eyes or hair. He's the commander of my ANBU, can't he keep control of his emotions? At least when he's in front of his underlings. 

‘One more way that he is still lacking thus far,’ 

I sincerely hope that the ANBU present play off Naruto’s behavior as his acting and nothing more. I don't want him to start setting a bad example for his well-trained ANBU.

"Naruto." Kakashi says stiffly. 

His eye is narrowed slightly in a reprimanding manner. Hopefully, this will secure the theory that Naruto's reaction was all acting. Who knows what the genin think, though?

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Naruto says, turning away and folding his arms over his chest. Iruka shoots him a sympathetic look. "Just make sure he's sober tomorrow, please," he begs, turning his eyes to my ANBU guards. 

They both incline their heads a bit, receiving and agreeing to the order soundlessly. Sasuke and Sakura will start to catch on if he doesn't stop being careless like this. I frown disapprovingly.

"Boys, please take Tazuna-san to a secure room and have him sleep off his hangover," I order easily, trying to make up for Naruto's folly. "Kakashi, I'll make sure that he meets your team at the gate at 8 a.m., so make sure to be there on time. He needs to return home and finish his bridge quickly. It's very important," I say, raising an eyebrow at the copy-nin. 

His gray eye meets mine and he nods swiftly. Kakashi is rarely ever on time, unless it's an extremely important mission. Naruto will most likely speak with him, at least enough to stress the true importance.

"I'll take care of it, Hokage-sama. I'll also let Kitsune-sama know that he needs to turn in that report, so don't worry about it," he says emotionlessly. 

'Oh, don't worry about it, he's already terrified enough to turn it in shortly. He’s as scared of me as I am of him, after all,' I think to myself. 

Kakashi turns toward his team and away from the fallen Tazuna getting hauled to his feet by my guards.

"Team, today we'll pack as a group so that you know what you'll need on future missions and so we can distribute things evenly so that no one is carrying more than they can manage. Sasuke and I will go to his house and grab the necessary things for Sasuke and myself. Naruto," Kakashi hands Naruto a list. Naruto gives him a sharp look like, 'Really? I hate you. I hate you so much. I hope that you die in fire.' That look nearly makes me laugh. Naruto's complete disgust of notes and written things of any kind is the only hint that he's actually blind. "you'll go with Sakura. Make sure you grab everything on the list for her and you. You two will be responsible for food rations while Sasuke and I will secure extra weapons and supplies," he explains. "Meet back at the bridge at noon, I'll bring something for lunch today," Naruto's eyes narrow further in a solid glare.

"Okay, sensei," Sakura says quickly, scanning the list in Naruto's hand.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure to grab everything, nii-san," Naruto says swiftly, eyes still narrowed in a harsh glare.

"Alright, Sasuke, come on," Kakashi replies, giving Naruto an eye smile.

"Yeah. See you later," Sasuke says, waving at Naruto and Sakura over his shoulder. That's odd, I honestly didn't expect Sasuke to be so friendly with his team.

"Yep!" Naruto replies to Sasuke's back.

"See ya!" Sakura calls. Sasuke then looks back over his shoulder and smiles at them. Sakura and Naruto grin in reply.

"Guess we'd better get going too, we have a lot of stuff to grab!" Naruto says seriously.

"Yeah. Where are we going first, your place or mine?" Sakura asks. Iruka watches their conversation with raised eyebrows. Their team dynamics are rather interesting.

"We can get to my place pretty quick from here, and your house is closer to the marketplace, so mine?" Naruto replies. 

"Sounds good. Lead the way?" Sakura suggests. Naruto gives her a sharp nod.

"Ja ne, jii-san, kaa-san," he says over his shoulder, racing out the door with Sakura hot on his heels. I chuckle a bit as my ANBU escort Tazuna out of the room. I grab my pipe and light it.

"That was, interesting." Iruka says slowly. 

"I agree. Who would've guessed that those three would work so well together?" I hum.

"Who would've guessed that Sasuke would come out of his shell a bit and that Sakura would start thinking about something other than her precious Sasuke-kun?" he says in bewilderment.

"I believe that it's Naruto who changed them," I say in consideration. "I can't say that it's a bad thing. I'm glad that Kakashi's been taking their training seriously, too. I must say, that team will be interesting once things really start happening," I hum thoughtfully. 

'This team will definitely be interesting, especially when Naruto comes into his power.'

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

I race across the rooftops, trying not to stray too far from Sakura's chakra signature. We aren't really in a rush or anything, I just have a feeling that packing her stuff will take a while. 

**"More like it'll be a lot of saying, 'Sakura-chan, you won't have time to do your hair on a mission.' and, 'Sakura-chan, your makeup will make your pack weigh more.'"**

'True, true. Although, she has gotten better since we were assigned teams. She has the capability of getting her head out of Sasuke-kun mode and into a mode similar to that of a functioning member of society.' 

Kurama chuckles as I continue on in a very eery direction.

"So, Naruto, where do you live, anyway?" Sakura gasps as she speeds up a bit to try and match the fast pace I set.

"The red light district," I state simply, forcing myself to sound winded. 

After all this time, and I still haven't dropped my act, at least not completely. I've seemingly matured slowly after my impromptu illness and now I'm still fairly childish, but I can be serious when need be. I'm usually fairly loud, and when I decide to be quiet, I always talk a lot. I've seemingly taken an interest in learning and simply want to be a good shinobi. That fake dream of becoming Hokage is still what I go on and on about, and while I would be honored with being Hokage one day, for now I'd rather just focus on honing my skills. I want to be even stronger than I am already. 

**"Fuinjutsu is an area you could excel at."**

'Kurama, I don't want to learn more fuinjutsu than I need to. It's a disgrace to the art. Besides, I don’t need a Mastery,' I complain. 

**"Kit, whether you like it or not, Kushina was the princess of the Land of Whirlpools. She was destined to be the next clan head. You are her heir, her successor. You need to take responsibility for that,"**

'It's not my fault that mom didn't have more kids. It's not my fault that she was princess of the Land of Whirlpools. I don't have to take responsibility for something that isn't my fault.' 

**"Naru, please stop being so stubborn. Your clan needs you,"** Kurama pleads.

'My clan is dead, idiot.' I think, effectively silencing Kurama.

"My mother says I'm not allowed to go to the red light district," Sakura says. 

Immediately, my brain is back on track with our conversation. I'm usually good with switching topics fast. Kurama and I have been having our secret conversations since I was a kid, so switching from conversation to conversation is a skill that I learned a long time ago. My multitasking is at a crazy level, almost as strong as my power as a shinobi. It's simply second nature for me now.

"Sensei told you to come to my place. She doesn't necessarily have to know, does she?" I respond carefully, trying to still seem childish while supplying the perfect fix to her problem. 

'Her mother's actually pretty smart for not allowing Sakura-chan into the red light district. It's a fairly dangerous place all alone, especially for a girl. If she was stronger, then I would have to request a change in that rule, but for now, it's reasonable.' I think to myself.

"Well, I guess not, but I would feel bad for lying to her," Sakura considers.

"It's not lying," I object. "If she doesn't ask, just don't bring it up. If she does, just tell her you went to my place. She doesn't have to know that I live in the red light district," I point out.

"Well, no, she doesn't." Sakura agrees with a nod. "Why do you live in the red light district, anyway? I hear that it's pretty dangerous," she shivers.

"I live there because it's the only place that would take me," I say truthfully. 

"Oh," she starts. "Isn't it dangerous?" she repeats.

"Yeah," I say simply.

"Do you get a lot of break-ins?" she asks.

"Yep," I reply.

"Isn't it scary?" she shudders.

"Not really. I'm not at my own place much anyway. I spend a lot of time with my friends," I explain. 

After that, we fall into silence. I'm honestly glad that the red light district is fairly close to Hokage tower when you take the roofs. It'll make this awkward silence a lot shorter. 

'Kurama?' I ask. No response. 'Fur ball?' I try again. 

**"What?!"** he barks. I nearly flinch in surprise. 

'Sorry for being stubborn. Can we talk?' 

**"Fine. What do you want?"**

'I just wanted to ask your opinion on Itachi's mission. It's going on for a lot longer than I expected,' 

**"Honestly, kit, I don't think that the Akatsuki are really all that dangerous. I don't think that they really have a huge plan to take over the world. They're just making their living wherever they can. That's my opinion on why you can't bring him home yet,"**

'I kind of agree. But, what if we're wrong and they're actually plotting something big, but we pull Itachi out early? That's mostly what I'm worried about. I can't decipher everything just from Itachi's take on events,' 

**"I know that it's dangerous, and I hate putting you in danger, but I know that you'll just do dangerous stuff anyway. Besides, you're strong, and I trust you. That's the only reason I'm suggesting this. Infiltrate yourself. Go in and figure out what's going on. It's the only way that you'll know for sure what's going on. I think that it needs to be done. Itachi is a wonderful shinobi and an excellent spy, but I think that this is something only you can do with success,"**

'I was actually considering that too. It's not that I doubt Itachi, but I honestly don't think that he has what it takes to get the information that I need. He's kind of socially awkward. He can't bring himself to get close to the right people. I know that he's trying, and that he wants to come home too, I just don't think that he knows what it takes,' 

**"I agree. He's always been a bit awkward, even with his own family. It just wasn't the best decision on your Hokage’s part, kit. I know that Shisui was the only one who could help Jiraiya because Orochimaru doesn't know his face, I just think that Itachi wasn't the best person to do this,"** Kurama explains. 

'I agree. I'll have to speak with Hokage-sama about this. Thanks, Kura-chan,' 

**"No problem, kit,"** he replies. 

I run to the edge of the building that Sakura and I are currently on and simply step off the edge. I plummet to the ground and land in a crouch on my balcony. Sakura stops just short of the edge and gapes at me from the roof.

"What?" I ask innocently, looking up at her with a slightly confused expression.

"You just plummeted eight feet like it was nothing!" she shrieks. 

I raise an eyebrow before realizing, yeah, that was eight feet. I just used my chakra to cushion the blow without thinking about it. I'll just play it off as Kakashi teaching me how to do it when I was younger or something.

"Oh yeah! Kakashi-nii taught me how when I was younger because I was having problems with older bullies waiting at my door. I'll teach you really quick, so just listen to me. Okay?" I explain quickly. 

She seems a bit apprehensive. I may have to lead her around to the main entrance, but that would just waste time.

"How do I know that you'll teach me right?" she asks inquisitively.

"I'm your teammate, so shouldn't you trust me?" I counter. 

I don't want to have to explain why I'm good at explaining things and teaching people. I don't want to have to say that I taught people different forms of my father's jutsu that I altered. I don't want her to know that I'm much smarter than I let on. Hopefully, the guilt trip will be enough.

"A-alright, fine. Just don't get me hurt, dummy!" she agrees reluctantly.

"Sure thing, Sakura-chan." I chirp. "First, send chakra into your feet. You'll start feeling like you're going to go flying off of the roof, but as long as you don't send too much chakra to your feet, you'll be fine," I state. 

"The chakra will act as a shield between your feet and the ground. That being said, you can't just fall off a roof and land in a standing position. You're going to want to just step off, not jump. Keep your feet flat to the ground and crouch as you come down, so you'll land in a crouch. It might hurt your knees a little bit, but you'll be fine," I explain easily.

"Okay. I think I understand," Sakura says uneasily.

"If you can't do it, I'll catch you," I respond seriously, looking her dead in the eye.

"How would you be able to know if I did it wrong before I landed?" she asks warily.

"Just trust me." I counter. 

I sense her give a brisk nod. I carefully focus my Sensory to determine her chakra paths and pay close attention as she directs chakra to her feet. The chakra was seemingly enough to break her fall, though it would probably sting a bit. I decide to step in before she plummets. 

"A bit more chakra," I order. 

I sense her look at me, although I can't determine the look on her face. She directs a bit more chakra to her feet. 

"There. Good," I praise easily. 

I sense the tenseness of her muscles and know that she must be a bit scared. I look directly at her. 

"Don't be scared. You'll be fine. I'm here to help," I say seriously. 

Sakura nods and takes that one step off the edge of the roof. I sense her knees bend in midair and she lands on the ground in an off-balance crouch. I grab her upper arms to steady her and give her a gentle smile. 

"I-I did it," Sakura stutters in awe. 

"Yeah. You did it," I grin. 

"Thanks, Naruto," she says warmly, tilting her head to the side a bit.

"No problem!" I say, releasing her and helping her stand fully. 

"That's actually pretty useful," Sakura points out. "Thanks for teaching me, Naruto," she says happily. 

I chuckle a bit and slide open the door that opens out onto the balcony. I hold the door open for Sakura and she enters first into the living room. The kitchen borders it and the traditional entrance opens into the kitchen. The bedroom and bathroom are on the opposite side of the living room, behind closed doors. I know that there's a decent layer of dust on most everything since I'm rarely here for long. 

Sakura gasps sharply. Based on the angle of her head, she's staring at one of my walls. 

'The door's open.' I immediately notice. 

The main entrance to my small apartment is slightly ajar, and suddenly, I know what Sakura's gaping at. Someone broke into my apartment and must have graffitied my walls. I send a sharp wave of chakra up the walls, reading the large symbols with ease. 

"Die demon? No one wants you around? Kill yourself? Naruto, what is this?" Sakura asks in horror. 

Based on the coppery smell, whoever did this did it in blood. 

'And I'm the demon? Sheesh.' I think. 

**"Kit, you aren't a demon,"** Kurama scolds. 

'Yeah, yeah. I know, fuzzball,' I reply. 'But seriously, blood? Those are big symbols, too. That's enough blood to drain a human or two. I'll have to look into it. I really hope that it's animal blood or something.'

"This is what happens in the red light district," I chuckle. "Looks like I'll have to wash my walls again. You're mother's a smart lady. No one messes with me when I'm actually around, though." I say sharply. "Come on, let's grab my stuff," I bark.

"O-okay." she stutters a bit and rushes after me as I turn sharply into my bedroom. 

This is the least dirty room in my apartment since it's the one that I use the most. There isn't even a fine layer of dust on anything. Itachi's germaphobe attitude must have rubbed off on me a bit when I was little.

"Start reading things off the list for me, would ya?" I ask quickly.

"Alright. So, the first thing on the list is clothes, of course. It says to pack for a month," she states. 

I nod and move to my closet. I grab a couple of shirts and fold them tightly. I go to my dresser and get out a few pairs of pants, folding them more efficiently as well. 

'Shit, I need a bag,' I think to myself. 

I move to the edge of my bed that Sakura's now sitting on and duck under it, reaching blindly (har har) for the duffle bag I know is stashed somewhere underneath it. I latch onto the strap and yank the bag towards me. I unzip it and set it on the bed, grabbing the things that I had already set out and nestling them in the empty bag. I grab several sets of underwear and place them inside as well. 

"Naruto." Sakura says lowly. I instinctively suppress an involuntary shiver at her tone. 

"Yeah?" I ask innocently, tilting my bi-colored eyes up towards her. 

I know the exact angle to tilt my head at in order to get my eyes to catch the overhead light and make them sparkle like jewels. I tilt my head at exactly that angle to catch her off-guard since she's seemingly upset at me for some reason. Sakura gasps slightly, meaning that my little trick worked.

"Y-you shouldn't just take out a bunch of underwear in front of a girl, baka!" she suddenly shouts. I raise an eyebrow. 

'Kurama, help?' 

**"Kit, she means that she's a girl and that it's embarrassing if you do what you just did,"**

'Huh? How is it embarrassing?' 

**"You guys are of the opposite gender. You may be blind, but she isn't,"** Kurama points out. 

'I still don't understand, Kurama. Why is it bad? An-nee never said anything,' I protest. 

**"My god, kit. It's because your underwear touch your unmentionables!"**

'But they're clean! Why's it so bad?' 

**"Kit, how do you not know this already?"** he sighs, exasperated. 

'Know what? I'm really confused here.' 

"You know, you should apologize or something. Not sit there like a confused monkey," Sakura interjects. 

My other eyebrow raises despite myself. 'Kurama, what the hell! I don't understand.' 

**"Kit, just ask her! I don't like getting involved in human matters!"**

'You suck!'

"Um, why should I apologize?" I ask in an embarrassed tone. 

I hate not knowing something. Due to always being with my senseis and senpais, I never really learned how to interact with kids my own age. Sakura may be a year younger than me, but hell, I can barely interact with TenTen naturally! I didn't ever really learn common manners, and I figure that packing for a mission isn't anything to be embarrassed about.

"For taking out your underwear in front of me!" she shrieks.

"I don't understand why that's an issue," I deadpan.

"What?!" she screams. "I'm a girl, you idiot! Isn't that embarrassing?!" she questions.

"No. It's just clothes," I say honestly.

"Well, for me, it is!" she protests. "For a normal person, you don't just show your underwear to people, especially people of the opposite gender, moron!" she says. 

"An-nee never said anything," I say, still terribly confused. 

'Why is underwear embarrassing?' I think.

"Ugh! How do you not know this, baka?" she questions. "It's embarrassing if you do that! I'm a girl, you're a boy, so there should be things that we both have that the other never sees. Underwear falls into that category," she explains.

"But why? What's so bad about underwear?" I ask, still confused.

"Because you wear them, idiot!" she shrieks.

"But they're clean!" I protest.

"Yeah, but still! You've worn them before, so it's embarrassing and it isn't something that I want to see!" she shouts.

"But why?" I ask.

"Because it's gross!" she says, scrunching up her nose.

"They're clean, though," I say, terribly confused.

"Look, Naruto, it's something that should be embarrassing. I wouldn't just take out a bunch of my underwear in front of you because it would be embarrassing for you, right?" she questions.

"No, not really. Like I said, it's just clothes. You wear them, and it's nothing to be embarrassed about," I reply.

"Ugh, so when a guy sees a girl's underwear or vice versa, something is usually happening between the two, right?" she asks, sounding terribly embarrassed. 

That's when it hits me. You don't want anyone to see your underwear besides your significant other because it's personal.

"Oh! I get it!" I say excitedly.

"You do?" Sakura asks uneasily.

"Yeah!" I reply happily. "You don't want anyone besides your significant other seeing your underwear because it's personal and private," I declare.

"Good, you do understand," she huffs. "Are you going to apologize to me now?" she asks haughtily.

"I'm sorry for taking out my underwear in front of you, Sakura-chan, even if it isn't embarrassing for me, it was for you. I'm sorry," I say. I can't help but think that it sounds dull and rehearsed.

"Good enough," she sighs. "Okay, is that everything you need for clothes?" she asks. I have shirts, pants, underwear. I'm missing something, though.

"Nope, I need a couple more things. Hold on just a second," I say quickly. 

I grab several sets of socks and shove them in the bag before grabbing my jacket out of my closet. It's a black trench coat with red, orange, and yellow flames at the bottom and on the sleeves. It has a hood on it and several storage seals built into it for my extra weapons, which are already stashed inside. 

"Okay. I'm good now," I say, sliding in my jacket.

"Alright. The next thing on the list is basic weapons: kunai, shuriken, fūma shuriken, explosive tags, etc.," she declares.

"M'kay," I say lightly, double-checking my weapons pouch and all of my seals. 

'Wasn't I supposed to get my new weapon from Kaito-san sometime this week?' 

**"Yeah. You'll have to check if you can get it tonight before your mission,"**

'Yeah. I'll have to stop by the shop on my way home from the bridge,' I think. 

"I'm good for weapons. Next," I state.

"Next is toiletries: tooth brush, tooth paste, comb, the basics, and there's a really big note on here saying: nothing that you don't absolutely need!" she says, furrowing her eyebrows and wondering about that last part. 

"Okay, wait here really quick," I say simply and make my way to the only bathroom in my little apartment, ignoring the writing on my walls. 

I grab the little bag stashed underneath my sink and double check with my Sensory that everything is inside. Miniature comb, tooth brush, tiny tube of toothpaste, lotion, and hand sanitizer. I typically brought the hand sanitizer for Itachi because he's a total germaphobe, but bringing it became a habit. I smile in a sentimental manner, remembering all of the times the little bottle had helped Ita-sensei. I quickly snap out of my little trance and return to my room. I toss the little bag into my duffle and face Sakura again. 

"There. What's next?" I ask.

"Do you have any medical supplies?" she asks. She looks up from the list. I check one of the seals in my sleeve. "Hey, are you okay?" she asks curiously. 

"Yeah, why?" I immediately reply.

"You keep furrowing your eyebrows. I was just wondering," Sakura responds.

"Ah!" I exclaim. 

'Damn. I didn't think I was being noticeable while checking my seals. I'm so stupid Kura-chan!' 

**"Kit, you just need to remember that she's the kunoichi of the year. Even though she may be weak and wimpy and totally Sasuke-obsessed, you need to keep in mind that she's very observant,"** Kurama points out. 

'You're right. I do need to keep that in mind,' 

"Sorry, it's nothing. I'm just double checking my storage seals. You're really observant, Sakura-chan!" I continue, trying to subtly distract from the fact that I have storage seals.

"You have storage seals? Where?" she questions. 

'Damn! I can't sneak anything past her!' 

**"Today just isn't your day, kit. Who cares, it's not like you'll blow your cover anyway,"**

'Still, Kurama, my attitude earlier was unacceptable. I can't allow something like that to happen again, even if I know that Kakashi-nii will cover for me. I need to keep better control,' I scold myself. 

**"Naru, you've been undercover for years. You're bound to have some slip-ups. It's fine. They won't be suspicious of you for a couple little slips. You're fine. Stop stressing, it gets to me, just like my irritation gets to you,"**

"In my jacket," I answer Sakura. "Do you know TenTen Higurashi?" I ask.

"Um, isn't she the top kunoichi from last year?" Sakura answers in a confused manner. She's probably wondering why I brought up another ninja.

"Yep. Her dad, Kaito, owns a weapons and clothing shop. I commissioned this from him. TenTen is pretty good at fuinjutsu, the art of sealing, and she made these seals herself," I proclaim proudly. 

"Oh, so do you know her well?" Sakura asks, a dangerous edge to her voice hidden under layers of a honey-sweet tone. 

'The same tone that she uses with Uchiha-san,' I note absentmindedly, telling myself to look into it a bit further at a later time.

"We've known each other since we were toddlers, so yeah, Ten-chan and I know each other pretty well. Why do you ask?" I say in an equally dangerous tone. 

By Sakura's lack of even a miniscule flinch, I can determine that she didn't pick up on the edge to my voice hidden underneath the happy, innocent tone.

"Oh, just curious since you mentioned her," she sighs lightly. "Do you like her?" Sakura asks. 

"As a friend, yeah," I answer. "As anything more, no," 

I hear Sakura sigh in a relieved manner, so quietly that the muscle movement told me more than the exhale of air. 

"She's a great girl, and a spectacular ninja, truly deserving the title of top kunoichi, but we're just friends. Why, were you worried?" I ask teasingly.

"I just don't want to see you get mixed up in something you might regret later on, that's all." she says genuinely. 

I don't detect any changes in her heart rate or body heat, nothing that would give away a lie. 

'So she's telling the truth? But why would she care?' 

**"Well, she was worried when you were sick. Haven't you noticed that she's become more motherly in her scolding? She's probably genuinely worried that you'll get mixed up with the wrong type of girl, kit,"** Kurama chuckles. 

'Too bad I'm not into girls,' 

I think to myself, Kurama's booming laughter giving me a slight headache behind my eyes.

"That's nice of you, Sakura," I reply, giving her a gentle, true smile. "I have medical supplies in one of my seals. Is there anything else on the list?" I ask.

"Nope. Next, we need to go to my place and then to the market," she chirps. 

I hum and zip up my duffel bag. I shoulder it, loving the fact that it isn't heavy. 

'Kakashi and Sasuke are done with Sasuke's place. They're getting supplies now. We've wasted too much time here,' I think, withdrawing my Sensory to conserve chakra. 

Sakura faces me, shoulders set. "Listen, Naruto," she starts. I perk to attention, straightening subconsciously at the seriousness of her tone. "My mom doesn't really like you all that much," she blurts out. My eyes widen in amusement. "Just, please try to be respectful. She thinks you're a demon or something, probably because of all those pranks you used to pull," she sighs.

"Don't worry, Sakura-san. I'll be respectful to your mother," I proclaim with a small smile, showing just how polite I could be when the situation calls for it.

"Okay. I'm really sorry, just so you know," she sighs. 

I usher her out the door and through the wrecked apartment, exiting via the traditional exit. I close the door behind me, not bothering to lock it. 

'People will just break in anyway. I'd rather not have to replace the lock. Again.' 

"I don't even know why my mom doesn't like you. I mean, she doesn't even know you! It's ridiculous. You're actually a pretty cool person to be around. Plus, you're funny and kind. How can someone not like you? I don't know how I managed to hate you throughout the academy. It's practically impossible," she huffs. "I'm really sorry for that too. I don't hate you," she says, rushing through her words as if she's just talking to fill the silence. 

'I usually do that, don't I?'

"Thanks, Sakura-chan. I don't hate you either," I reply a bit awkwardly. 

'Since when have I received a sentiment like that?' 

**"Probably since you forced Itachi and Shisui out of the village,"**

'Honestly, so much has changed without them around,' 

**"You going undercover might have something to do with that too, y'know,"** Kurama muses.

"I know that it's weird of me to say, but I kind of like you," she laughs. "Not romantically, of course. Sasuke-kun will always hold that place in my heart," she muses. "But I think that you're nice and funny and a good friend. I can't believe I didn't notice it sooner. You're actually pretty incredible," Sakura giggles. I feel the blood rush to my face.

"Thanks, Sakura!" I smile. "You don't know how much it means for me to hear that," I chuckle slightly. "Let's go to your place and get your stuff, ne?" I smirk.

"Yeah, let's go!" she exclaims. She jumps onto the nearest roof and begins making her way across them. "You coming, Naruto?" she asks, spinning as she lands. 

I can practically see her long, pink hair fanning out in the wind and her green eyes glowing because of the weight on her chest that's been lifted. I snap out of my trance and smile to myself. Sakura will make an excellent kunoichi, I can see it. She's an interesting person, that's for sure. I can tell already what a strong woman she'll become. I'll have to make sure not to coddle her. And I'll have to nurture this blossoming friendship. Who knew that the person Sakura is by herself is so amazing? She needs to be herself far more often, that's definite.

Sometimes, I wish I could see for real.

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

Being with Kakashi is fairly boring. I actually prefer my over-enthusiastic team mates rather than my introverted sensei. He's fine and all, but if someone isn't talking, I'm certainly not going to start. 

The silence that fills the air between us as we make our way across the rooftops is a bit awkward. He's not even reading that stupid porn of his, and he keeps looking at me. He'll glance at me every couple of seconds, as if to check if I'm still here. I feel as though he isn't keeping an eye on me just because he's worried about my pace. I feel like he's worried about me running off for some reason or another. I wish that I knew more about the guy to figure out what he's thinking. Honestly, Kakashi knows more about us than we know about him. Except for Naruto, of course. 

For some reason, I've seen more of the true Naruto coming out more and more, and I actually think that it's accidental. A few discreet glances shared between him and Kakashi. The way he'll correct my or Sakura's taijutsu stance just a millisecond before Kakashi. The way Kakashi is always trying to subtly excuse each action that Naruto does that seems odd. 

Whoever the true Naruto is, Kakashi knows. I want to know, but every time I approach Naruto or even Kakashi with personal questions, they evade, dodge, and escape. It's really beginning to get on my nerves, but there's nothing I can do about it. I simply need to wait until they're ready to give me the information I want. It's too bad that I'm not a very patient person.

I land in front of the gates of the Uchiha compound an instant before Kakashi and push open the wooden gates emblazoned with the Uchiha crest. I ignore my surroundings, knowing that the empty buildings are all well-kept, and that it surely piques Kakashi's interest. After all, I'm the only one living here. 

I make my way to the place where I lived with my family, the same place that I still live in alone. It hurts sometimes. The fact that my brother supposedly massacred our clan breaks me to pieces inside. It's not like anyone will ever know how I feel about it though. 

I never really believed it, and I still don't. I can't bring myself to think that my own nii-san killed our people. He was such a proud clan's man. I've never believed it, and I never will. I'll get to the bottom of it one day, and when I do, I'll kill whoever was actually behind it and bring my brother home.

I make my way to my bedroom, listening carefully and paying close attention as Kakashi follows me. Knowing my sensei, and how he gets when there's something on his mind, I'm expecting an attack of some kind, physical or otherwise.

"Sasuke," There it is. "You keep things pretty well here, don't you?" he asks.

"I keep things looking nice to honor my clan," I state simply. 

I don't typically use one-word answers anymore, Naruto and Sakura broke me out of that bad habit pretty quickly.

"Even Itachi's room?" Kakashi asks. 

There's a knowing tone in his voice, and I pick up on a dangerous edge. It's as if he already knows the answer, and is merely taunting me with the question. I stop walking just as we reach the door to my brother's old room. 

"See for yourself," I say, gesturing at the door. 

Kakashi leans past me, his hand resting against the door almost in nostalgia. He moves his body in front of the door, so that he's standing in front of me and gently, almost fearfully, slides it open. A tiny gasp leaves his lips just to be muffled by his face mask, but I still hear it. 

Most people probably think that I hate my brother, but that's far from the truth. In absolute reality, I simply miss him and pity him. I honestly can't believe that he would murder our clan, at least not without a very good reason. Therefore, his room is just as it was, besides having been freshly dusted as I know he prefers. I want to keep his room ready for him for when I bring him home. It's a reminder of my goals.

"It's exactly as it was," Kakashi breathes, astounded at the time and effort I put into keeping my brother's room pristine.

"To honor my brother," I say, staring past Kakashi into the spotless room for myself. "I never did ask how you know my brother, Kakashi-sensei," I comment offhandedly. 

Kakashi turns toward me, sliding the door closed. We face each other in the narrow hallway. I focus my gaze on the one eye he lets the world see.

"Back when I was an active ANBU agent, that's when I met Itachi-kun," he says. "I was his captain," Kakashi chokes out. "And then he got promoted to captain status himself, and after that, we were all brought into team Kitsune. Your brother and your cousin, Shisui, served under the commander of the ANBU himself. Trained him, too, but that's besides the point," he chuckles. "You said that you keep up on Itachi-kun's room to honor him, even though he's the one to massacre your clan. I don't understand your way of thinking, Sasuke." 

"I can't honestly believe, Kakashi, that my brother would ever harm a fly without good reason. Murderous shinobi or not," I state. "He may not have had much time for me, but he was a loyal shinobi and a good person," I muse. 

My brother was soft-hearted. There's no way that he could stand to do something so terrible, therefore something bigger must be going on.

"You don't think he's responsible?" Kakashi asks, astounded. "Didn't you witness it?" he questions, seemingly perturbed, but also pleased in a way. 

Pretty much everyone in the village knows that I witnessed the massacre through my brother's eyes due to his genjutsu, but no one has brought it up before.

"I've never believed that my brother was truthfully the one behind the massacre, Kakashi-sensei," I confirm. "He's a proud person who loved his clan and was loyal to a fault. I've always wanted to find out why he did what he did. Specifically, I want to know who forced him to kill our clan. His eyes, they were emotionless. No one can suppress their memories that well, not even my brother," I explain. 

My brother almost always had a kind fondness in his eyes. He was an open book because of his eyes.

"I'm actually pretty impressed, Sasuke. No one else ever questioned it," Kakashi muses, stroking his chin with his thumb and pointer finger. "I don't know much of what happened that night, though. The person that I would talk to is the commander, Kitsune-sama. I must warn you though, that he's a rather troublesome person to reach. He never reveals himself unless it's absolutely necessary, and I can't tell you his actual name," Kakashi says strictly. I nod.

"Thank you for telling me who to go to. That's more information than I expected to get out of you," I smirk.

"I only revealed what I did because I know that my taichou will more than make up for my shortcomings. He'll never tell you a goddamn thing. But good luck nonetheless," Kakashi smiles back.

"Really? He's that good?" I ask, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Honestly, he's an open book most of the time, so it's good that he wears a mask," Kakashi chuckles. "But he's a good liar. He was trained by the best of the best. Hokage-sama even sparred with him a couple of times, but now he's too afraid of Kitsune-sama to spar with him," he grins. 

"He was trained to lie by the experts of the Interrogation and Torture Unit, and he was taught to construct a believable story by none other than Nara Shikaku, the overseer of the jonin. He's brilliant. A one-in-a-millennia prodigy who even your brother can't measure up to," Kakashi smirks behind his mask at the look on my face. 

I must look decently horrified, so I try to get a rein on my emotions. 

"You'll find him to be fairly hard to crack," he says in a sing-song voice.

"I can tell," I gulp. 

Kakashi chuckles as we continue down the hall to my room to collect my things.

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	16. Are You Serious?!

**Chapter 16 - Are You Serious?!**

**Author's Note: I'm back with another chapter! Just to let you guys know, I have finals coming up rapidly, and since I won't be able to update (or write, for that matter), I thought that this would be the perfect time to change my update schedule. From now on, I'll be updating on Sundays. The next update will be the Sunday after my finals, which is May 28th, I think. My last day of school is the 26th. Anyway, I really want to keep my straight A's, so I'm sorry. Anywho, interesting stuff is going on in this chapter. It's the start of the SasuNaru! Enjoy!**

**Editor’s Note: Ah, the fun times of non-pandemic school. How I miss those. Social distancing has made me lonely, so come stalk my social media or get yourself some cool merch from my Redbubble shop!**

**Chapter 16**

**Third Person P.O.V.**

The bridge near training ground 7 is rarely ever occupied, except in the morning. In the morning, the three genin under Hatake Kakashi's tutelage meet there and wait the typical ten minutes to an hour that Kakashi manages to get away with being late under Naruto's watchful Sensory. 

To be fair, he's typically on an ANBU mission nowadays. Now, all four members are gathered and food, weapons, and the four's parafernalia are all scattered around them. Kakashi is lecturing them about what to pack for different types of missions as the genin eat the sandwiches Kakashi had bought on his way to the bridge with Sasuke. After a few months together, their team dynamics were surely improving, and Kakashi got all of them their favorite sandwich of choice. 

"So, that should be everything. Any questions?" Kakashi concludes. 

The three genin shake their heads. 

"Alright then. Meet at the gate tomorrow at eight in the morning. I won't be late either, I promise," he chuckles. "I know that you're all probably a bit nervous for your first C-rank mission, but I'm sure that it'll go off without a hitch. Make sure to sleep well tonight, and bring your packs. Team dismissed," he finishes.

"Naruto, Sasuke, do you guys want to get something to eat later?" Sakura asks. 

Sasuke's eyes widen a fraction and Naruto's mouth twitches upwards into a soft smile. Kakashi trains his eye on the pinkette. She usually asks Sasuke out, so that wasn't new, but she'd never invited Naruto along before.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan, but I need to go talk to Kaito-san about a weapon he's making me. I'm hoping that it's ready. But I really appreciate the invitation!" Naruto says apologetically. 

His eyes glimmer like jewels, catching everyone off-guard as they catch the light. Naruto's eyes were honestly gorgeous, so much so that it was hard to believe that they were his second set. 

'Kurama truly did a good job reconstructing them.' Kakashi muses to himself.

"Oh, you commissioned something besides the jacket?" she asks, eyeing the black jacket that he's currently wearing. 

"I ask Kaito-san for stuff all the time!" Naruto laughs, his face scrunching up cutely. 

His features may be more angular than with the henge, but he still had some baby fat on those cheeks. 

"Sasuke, you know Higurashi Kaito, right? If I recall correctly, your father got along well with him," he points out.

"Yeah, I know him. He made all of my family's custom weapons, from my dad's intricate bomb seals that he'd use for police work to my brother's swords," Sasuke recalls. "He's truly a weapons master. His daughter was last year's top kunoichi, right?" he asks. 

He seems genuinely interested. Sasuke's personality had taken a one-eighty since the academy. He was still himself, just more open. He only showed this side of himself around his teammates, though.

"Yep!" Naruto chirps. 

Kakashi thought it was adorable how Naruto made an effort to include Sasuke into the conversation. 

"Ten-chan is pretty great. Konoha's weapons mistress!" he giggles. 

Sasuke thought it was funny that Naruto could be a giggling schoolgirl, loudmouth dumbass, and serious shinobi all in one day.

"What about me?" a new voice calls from afar. 

Naruto smirks. 'I was right about her being just in hearing range.' he thinks to himself, Kurama giving a nod of approval.

"Ten-chan is the BEST KUNOICHI IN THE WORLD! HOW YOUTHFUL!" another voice cries, distinctly male, although interestingly cheerful. 

Team 7 turns to check out the newcomers, determining that the only female in the group of four was Higurashi TenTen. 

A boy with straight, brown hair pulled back into a low ponytail (reminding Sasuke, Kakashi, and Naruto of Itachi) and white eyes walks calmly beside the girl, muttering something under his breath in a pseudo-upset manner. 

The girl, TenTen herself has rich, brown hair drawn up into two buns with warm, brown eyes. 

Behind them jump a man and a boy, both clad in horrific green spandex with the same bowl-shaped haircut marring their black hair and large, thick eyebrows. Kakashi pales at the sight of the over-enthusiastic pair.

"TEN-CHAN!" Naruto suddenly shrieks. 

Sasuke and Sakura turn toward him, covering their ears with bewildered looks on their faces. Kakashi flinches and falls over from the force of that voice. Naruto may not be using his "taichou voice" but damn, his vocal cords were truly amazing. 

"YOU'RE WEARING MY FAVORITE COLOR!" he screams. 

Kakashi briefly wonders how Naruto can tell that she's wearing red before gripping his ears and slamming his head against the ground to replace that echoing with something a bit more bearable.

"HELL YEAH I AM!" she shouts back. 

Kakashi almost wants to kill himself as he catches his kawaii genin looking between the two in utter shock and confusion.

"YOUR VOICE IS SO YOUTHFUL, NARUTO-KUN!" the green-clad boy shouts happily.

"SO YOUTHFUL THAT YOU KNOCKED OUT MY RIVAL!" the older spandex-clad man roars in jealousy.

"Oh my god, CAN YOU ALL STOP SCREAMING?!" the last member of the group shrieks. TenTen pales and the two jumping males freeze in terror. Kakashi looks up from where he's slumped over on the ground, and Naruto gapes openly. "I HATE YOUR SHRIEKING! NARUTO, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SHUT THEM UP FOR ME, NOT EGG THEM ON!" he cries out.

"Heh, heh. Sorry, Neji-kun," Naruto chuckles sheepishly. The newcomers move again stopping just in front of team 7. 

"Hello there, Kakashi!" the older green-wearing man says confidently. "I find it hard to believe that you actually took a genin team," he chuckles. "Care to introduce us?" he asks with a knowing tone. 

Kakashi pulls himself up off the ground and grabs the rail for support. Naruto did some despicable damage to his ears.

"Team, meet team Gai. Their sensei is Maito Gai. The mini-Gai is Rock Lee. The female of the team is Higurashi TenTen, and last but not least, is Hyuuga Neji," Kakashi says, ignoring the ringing in his ears. "Introduce yourselves, I'm too tired," he complains.

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke says sharply, narrowing his eyes at the female in the group that Naruto had spoken so highly of.

"Haruno Sakura. Pleased to meet you," Sakura chirps, keeping in mind Naruto's pet peeves. There's a slightly awkward silence and everyone turns to look at Naruto.

"What?" he asks innocently. "You guys already know me," he contemplates.

"Naru-chan, it's polite to introduce yourself, even if everyone already knows you," TenTen explains easily, as if she were already used to Naruto's lack of knowledge relating to interacting with those his own age.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" he exclaims, bowing quickly before popping back up, almost like a jack-in-the-box. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, but call me Naru-chan!" he chirps. 

"What do you mean call you Naru-chan, Naruto?" Sakura asks.

"You mean that you don't know?" Neji asks condescendingly. Lee would've said something had he not been ogling Sakura.

"Know what?" Sasuke snaps angrily. 

He bets that he knows more about Naruto than these people, at least about the stuff that matters. He didn't really understand this feeling of jealousy, but he couldn't bring himself to suppress it. It felt right for him to be angry at these condescending strangers who act like they know everything.

"Naru's full name makes him—EEP!" TenTen begins, getting cut off as Naruto tackles her. 

Sasuke and Sakura watch in confusion as Naruto locks both hands over TenTen's mouth, hissing something indecipherable at her. Lee cheers at their youthful actions and Neji pretends that two people are not currently rolling around on the ground right beside him. Gai watches in amusement and Kakashi chuckles a bit at Naruto's overreacting.

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" Naruto says strictly. "She said nothing!" he orders, using a voice similar to his normal tone, AKA his "taichou tone." 

Kakashi and Gai both flinch a bit, and the kids just look at him oddly. Naruto fixes his eyes on TenTen in a knowing way. TenTen's hands are pinned above her head, locked in one of his, and his free hand is gripping her jaw firmly, preventing her from talking. 

She hums in acknowledgement and nods the best she can. Naruto slowly releases her, letting her sit there for a minute before rising from his previous position of straddling her waist. He extends a hand and she takes it, letting him help her up.

"What the hell just happened?" Sasuke asks in bewilderment. Sakura giggles, which makes Lee's cheeks turn pink.

"They do it all the time," Neji sighs. "Don't mind them," he huffs in annoyance. Wasn't there anyone sane here?

"I thought it was cute," Sakura teases lightly. Naruto's cheeks turn red and TenTen laughs loudly at his embarrassment.

"I was just trying to shut her up," Naruto protests weakly. It's odd for Naruto to be so docile, but no one really questions it. "Ah!" he suddenly exclaims. "Ten-chan, is that new item I commissioned Kaito-san for done yet? I have a C-rank mission in the morning and I was wondering if it was done," he asks.

"Oh, the gloves?" she clarifies.

"Yep!" he chirps in reply, popping his "p".

"Yeah, they're done," TenTen responds. "Do you want to drop by tonight or tomorrow morning?" she asks.

"Tonight," he answers firmly. "Knowing Kaito-san, he'd make me late for the mission with all of his jibber-jabber," Naruto chuckles. "I can't afford to be late," he states, giving Kakashi a look.

"Naruto-kun, are you worried about Kakashi's track record?" Gai chuckles teasingly.

"Yes," Naruto deadpans.

"At least he isn't insane like the entirety of my team," Neji mutters darkly.

"Do you not like our youthfulness, Neji-kun?" Lee asks, slightly horrified after having been pulled away from ogling Sakura by the un-youthful turn in the conversation.

"I hate all of you," Neji says, narrowing his white eyes at the three, who grip onto each other for support due to Neji's harsh words.

"No you don't, Neji-kun," Naruto teases. "You love your team," he taunts. "They're your favorite people in the world, and a great escape from the head family. You do love your team," he says, slowing down slightly as if he's just on the verge of an epiphany. "They're like family," he mutters, glancing at his feet with his dual eyes. 

"You are reading way too far into things," Neji replies, a light blush on his cheeks. 

Naruto's brows curve up a bit in something like remorse. TenTen elbows Neji in the side with a small smile on her face and pleading eyes. 

"I mean, they're just people that I'd kill for, and stuff," Neji says awkwardly, trying to make Naruto's sudden mood improve. 

Naruto's eyes meet his and Neji flinches almost imperceptibly. TenTen and Naruto are the only ones that catch it, and they both understand. Having a person who you know is blind look you dead in the eye can be unnerving.

"Yeah," Naruto says softly. He turns around to face Kakashi. "Kakashi-nii, are we done here?" he asks. 

He doesn't sound particularly upset, just disinterested. He looks like he simply doesn't care about whether they're done or not, and knowing Naruto, he'd probably just walk off even if they had just started. 

"Yep, we're done," Kakashi replies. "Just make sure to take your bags with you. You're all dismissed," he states. "Gai, is there a reason that you're here?" he asks, his one silver eye boring into Gai.

"Yes, Kakashi. I wanted to speak to you about this year's chuunin exams," Gai answers. "I just had a few things to ask you," he says easily, but the look in his eyes says otherwise.

"Alright," Kakashi nods. "Just give me a few minutes to get this stuff back to my apartment," he requests, not waiting for an answer. "The usual place?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I'll see you there," Gai replies, for once sounding serious. Kakashi nods, grabbing his bags and vanishing with a Shunshin.

"I guess we should get going. You coming, Naru-chan?" TenTen offers. She gives him a quaint little smile. 

Sasuke watches with a look akin to jealousy, which Sakura notices. She doesn't know exactly why Sasuke-kun would be jealous, but then again, he doesn't know that Naruto isn't interested in TenTen. 

Sakura can't decide whether or not Sasuke is jealous of the attention that Naruto's getting or if he's jealous that someone else is being attentive to Naruto. She cautiously noted that she wasn't jealous that Sasuke-kun wasn't directing that look at her and Lee. He may be wearing green spandex, but he's actually pretty cute and definitely a fun kind of eccentric.

"Yeah, I'm coming. I really want those gloves," he answers. 

Sasuke immediately turns his sharp gaze to TenTen, glaring harshly at the poor girl. She catches his look and her face flushes. 

"Don't get any funny ideas, Uchiha," she says strictly. 

Naruto turns toward him just as Sasuke schools his features, cursing himself for getting caught by the girl he was glaring at. Naruto glances, confused, between the two. Sasuke didn't even know why he was glaring at her. It's not like he liked her or anything. He was just jealous. He felt like no one should come near Naruto, and the feeling was unnerving. Sasuke felt his cheeks heat up. 

"Naru-chan is like a brother to me. I have absolutely zero romantic interest in him, he's just a friend," she says, drawing Sasuke's attention back to her. 

'But I don't like her!' Sasuke protested in his mind. 'I'm just upset that Naruto is hanging out with someone else, that's all! I'm just being possessive over a friend!' he thought, trying desperately to convince himself. 

No one knew that he was quite gullible enough to believe what he was trying to convince himself of, but sadly, the world was wrong as he bought into his own lies.

"I just don't want to see anything happen to my teammate when we have a mission tomorrow," Sasuke replies emotionlessly, having mastered the art a long time ago. Lee laughed boisterously as he and Gai shared a glance. Neji snickered quietly and Sakura giggled a bit. Naruto just looked more confused than he was when he noticed Sasuke glaring at TenTen.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

TenTen and I stroll down the sidewalk towards her father's shop in silence, the only sound being the chatter and ruckus of the marketplace. I have a bag slung over my shoulder, easily carrying the heavy package. The gloves that I had commissioned were ready, and it was perfect timing. 

I'm always thankful to Kaito-san for doing what he does for me, but these gloves were really going to make my life easier. I had made complex seals for the gloves. The seals were an altered version of the storage seal. Each seal was built on top of the others, all of them entwining flawlessly, but they would all react for different things. 

I had learned how to manipulate my chakra to have identification waves, a slight difference in the wavelength of chakra. It was close to elementalization, but way more intense and intricate. Each part of the whole seal would hold a different weapon. 

One for my sword, another for my Hiraishin kunais, another for shuriken, one for my bo staff, and so on and so forth. These gloves will make switching weapons faster than it already was for me, and that's saying something. It'll be so much easier to protect Sasuke on the mission with these gloves.

"So, what's with Uchiha-san getting all jealous earlier?" TenTen hums. 

"I have no idea," I deadpan.

"You think he's into guys or girls?" she chirps. Blood rushes to my face as my cheeks go red in embarrassment.

"TenTen!" I hiss.

"What?" she asks in a lilting tone, clearly amused.

"You know what!" I growl, pulling her into the closest alley and peaking around to make sure that no one had heard her.

"No, seriously, what is it?" she asks again, more serious than the previous time.

"You know that I don't want to give the villagers another reason to hate me!" I mutter accusingly, turning my eyes downward to hide the few tears that had swelled.

"Oh come on! You're gay, so what?!" she whisper-shouts, having the decency to keep quiet about such a sensitive matter.

"Yeah. I'm gay and the village is homophobic!" I reply angrily. 

She knows that I hate talking about this. I had never been in a relationship, but I knew my own preference. Guys had always been more attractive than women. It wasn't something that I or any of my friends viewed as wrong, but the villagers were different. Plus, me coming out as gay would cause problems for Iruka and Kakashi, and I don't want to cause them trouble. I won't make anyone else into an outcast like I am.

Besides, I don’t think the Council would like me foiling their child prodigy breeding plans.

"Well the village is stupid!" TenTen counters.

"Look, you know that I don't like talking about this!" I scold. "Plus, I have no idea what Sasuke's preference is," I growl.

"When did you start calling him Sasuke?" she asks suddenly. 

I tense up minutely in realization. I had always called him Uchiha-san when speaking about him to other people. TenTen had never heard me call him Sasuke, and calling my charge by his first name is a way of implying that we're close or friendly.

"I'm just trying to seem friendly in case someone overhears," I say, my voice dropping lower.

"Liar," she immediately accuses. "You would sense if someone was close enough to overhear, and we wouldn't be having this conversation," she points out. 

I mentally curse myself to leave such a big loophole for TenTen to use against me. I am brilliant though, so I know that despite the fact that she knows me, I'll be able to lie to her just fine.

"Do you really think that I know what an Inuzuka's hearing range is for sure, idiot?" I hiss even quieter than before. 

I sense TenTen's eyes widen and I can tell that she just paled in realization. I almost feel bad for tricking her, but I can't have her thinking that I'm getting friendly with Sasuke, no, Uchiha-san. I can't get friendly with my charge, no matter who they are. My job is to protect them, not to get attached to them. Any emotions will simply get in my way and make me more likely to submit to Kurama's hatred. Even if Kurama and I were friends—no, best friends, I told myself—it didn't mean that he doesn't still possess that hatred. 

Because I wasn't allowed to practice in Jinchuuriki Mode, I can barely control his chakra, and most of the time I draw his hatred along with his chakra. It's extremely hard to control and I struggle a lot with trying to control it. It's the one thing that has never come easy to me, even with Kurama's help.

"I'm sorry," TenTen whispers, staying as quiet as possible. 

She looks ashamed, and it tugs at my heartstrings. I've always been very good at lying, but I've never once enjoyed lying to someone. It came to me as naturally as counting my own steps as I walk.

"They're gone now," I reply, a tiny bit louder. She suddenly looks up sharply.

"Do you like Sasuke-san?" she asks seriously. 

I choke on air and feel my eyes widen. The blood rushes to my face, surely turning it crimson, and my heart beats rapidly in my chest. I immediately school my features and calm the rapid thudding in my chest.

"I am not allowed to have feelings, romantic or otherwise, for a charge," I choke out in response to the sudden question.

"I know that you aren't allowed to, Naru, but that didn't give me an answer to my question," she scolds. "Do you have feelings for the Uchiha or not? Romantic or otherwise," TenTen presses. 

I almost hate that she knows me so well. I don't know how she managed to see the feelings that I harbor for him, growing and changing as the days pass, when no one else mentioned it. Maybe the others only assumed that they were hallucinating or something. Or maybe they thought that if they ignored it, I would continue to do so as well. I hope that it's the latter. Ten-chan is daring, I'll give her that.

"Yes," I say as emotionlessly as possible. 

I keep my body under strict control, keeping half a thought on the beating of my heart and my facial features. I can't betray anything at this point. As long as I can make her buy that my feelings for him are only of kinship, I'll be fine. It's normal to feel close to someone who you've looked after for years, especially when that person is the younger brother/adorable cousin of two of your best friends.

"Do you have a crush on him?" she asks, again being very serious. 

I can tell that she isn't playing around. She knows that I don't let things that shouldn't be said slip for no reason, and she's probably suspecting that I lied to her about the passing Inuzuka clansmen. She's been hanging with a bunch of ANBU since she was a little girl, so she's certainly picked up a couple things from us. 

"Absolutely not," I say strictly, sounding more like a scolding parent than like I'm answering a serious question that could cost me my job and my life. "Itachi-nii and Shisui-nii would kill me if I dated Uchiha-san. Besides, if that were the case, I would lose my job, and I might even be put to death for attempting to turn "The Last Uchiha" gay," I explain. "I know better than to get myself mixed up in that," I chuckle, trying desperately to make her believe me. 

I may be the commander of the ANBU, but when I'm with people that know my well, I do have my shortcomings. 

'Still, I shouldn't be struggling like this. Any advice, Kura?' I ask. 

There's no response, so I carefully open up our link, keeping half of my mind in the present while also venturing into my mindscape. Suddenly, I can see, and that giant fox is sleeping soundly, not even snoring. I sigh to myself, wondering why that fox always leaves me high and dry whenever I really need him. 

Then again, he's awake for all of my fights and always heals me, so I guess I can let this slide. I close our link and put all of my attention on TenTen's next move. She's always been a bit of a strategist, so I need to be careful.

"Just because you know better doesn't mean that you don't have feelings for him anyway," she points out. 

'Damn it,' 

That's exactly what I didn't want to hear her say, but she knows that I like to evade questions by using clever answers that don't reveal the truth. She's being careful to get her answer, but I hate outright lying to her.

"No, I don't have romantic feelings for Uchiha-san," I say in a slightly exasperated voice, acting flawlessly and knowing that this will be enough to get past her.

"If that's the case," she starts. Damn, I really thought that she wouldn't press this anymore. She must have an ace up her sleeve, but I don't know where she would've picked up this kind of dirt on me. "then why did you look so pleased when Sasuke got all jealous earlier?" she finishes. I feel my skin pale. 

'She noticed?! Shit!' 

Yes, I had been pleased when my romantic interest got jealous, and I had the opportunity to entertain the thought that he was jealous over me instead of jealous about TenTen, which I figure he was. 

"And you get this little spark in your eye, barely noticeable even to the trained eye, whenever I say his name. You get angry just thinking of someone else merely saying his name!" she accuses. With a resigned look she concludes, "You're in love with Uchiha-san," 

It's a statement full of one emotion: dread. TenTen is well aware that I'll lose my job over this, and quite possibly my life if the council finds out. 

"Are you two dating?" she suddenly asks, looking appalled. 

I know that she isn't appalled at the thought of her best friend (AKA me) being gay, it's just that she's terrified that I'm already in deeper trouble than I should be.

"No, we aren't dating, Ten-chan," I say softly. "And yes, I'm in love with Sasuke," I finish, saying his first name and feeling the little butterflies in my chest that I've been feeling for the past three months whenever I do. 

I know that I'm an idiot. I fell in love with the person that would cost me my job and probably my life, while ruining his reputation. God, I'm stupid. 

"That's a relief," she sighs. "Wait, you do!?" she hisses accusingly after the second of realization hits her. 

I nod seriously. I'm in love with the one person that could single-handedly ruin my life, as well as his own. 

"Oh," she mutters. "Does he like you?" TenTen asks hesitantly. She can tell that this is a bit of a sore topic. 

"No, definitely not," I laugh bitterly. "Knowing my luck, he's probably as straight as an arrow," I gulp. 

If he ever found out that I'm in love with him, not only would he make my life hell, but he'd also get me fired and hanged, though I don't think that he'd ever go that far on purpose. 

"He might like me as an almost friend," I mutter. "And he's keen. I have to act perfectly around him. My frustration for having to hide how I feel about him is making it hard to maintain my cover," I complain. "Hell, I even acted like myself, right in front of them, this-goddamn-morning!" I hiss in anger. 

It's just getting harder and harder to do anything. I'm always tired, though I'm no longer running out of chakra at inopportune moments. I've been hiding who I am for years, and my frustration with everything is frustrating Kurama, which is making me more frustrated. And with the furball angry, I have a higher chance of pulling his chakra and hatred on accident. It's an exhausting cycle of bullshit, and it's making my life as close to a living hell as it's been since I was raped and tortured.

"My god, Naru," she grunts. "You need to take a break," TenTen complains. "Did you have any missions last night?" she asks in the same accusing tone from earlier.

"Eight, all S-rank," I mutter, wincing slightly at the irritation the answer brought forth in TenTen.

"Please tell me that at least three of those were delivery missions," she pleads, knowing how fast my Hiraishin makes me at delivering the requested items. I chuckle slightly at her antics.

"All of them were delivery missions last night, surprisingly," I answer truthfully. TenTen sighs in relief. 

"Okay, so let me get everything straightened out so that I can help you. Correct me if I'm wrong about something," she orders. 

I nod soundlessly, willing her to come up with something reasonable I can do. So far I'm stuck between, get myself taken off of this mission, and kiss Sasuke and run for the hills. The first one is the most reasonable, but it has its flaws as well. Kissing Sasuke sounds like a lot fun, but that would probably be a very bad idea. 

"You, Naruto Namikaze-Uzumaki, are head-over-heels in love with Sasuke Uchiha," she starts. 

I nod the affirmative, my face crimson with embarrassment. 

"Sasuke is in love with you," she says. 

"No he isn't," I immediately correct.

"Yes he is," TenTen argues. 

"What proof do you have, Higurashi?" I question gruffly. 

Whenever I act like I'm speaking to one of my underlings, it unnerves whoever I'm actually talking to so much that they'll start making mistakes. TenTen's already crazy if she thinks that Sasuke likes me back.

"My proof is this, taichou: Sasuke got so jealous when we were talking that he was glaring at me without any semblance of restraint," she teases, jabbing me playfully in the arm and finishing with, "You're such a player!" TenTen laughs quietly at herself. 

I blanch slightly, knowing that TenTen's take of the situation was as wrong as it could possibly get.

"He was glaring at you for being friendly with me. He obviously likes you," I counter easily. 

Arguing has always been one of my fortes, and I definitely won't lose an argument when I know that I'm right.

"Oh my kami! You are so clueless sometimes that I want to bash my head against the wall!" TenTen exclaims. "He obviously likes you. A lot, I'd say," she says wearily.

"You barely know him. You can't just assume stuff like that," I shoot back. "I highly doubt that Sasuke is anything other than straight," I conclude. 

A sharp pain ignites in my chest at the thought of my love for him never being returned, but I know very well that's how the situation is.

"Oh please!" she scoffs. "I was the first person to figure out that Hyuuga Hinata is in love with Inuzuka Kiba because she had been pretending for years to be in love with one of his best friends, you!" she exclaims. 

"That's different," I state. "Besides, she's so obvious that it almost hurts," I mutter. "This doesn't even have anything to do with Sasuke and I!" I argue, trying to contradict her. 

For a mere second, I had entertained the thought that Sasuke might, maybe, have a teeny tiny crush on me, but if I let myself think that he actually might have a crush on me, it would be way harder to control myself. I would constantly want to make a move. And if he made a move on me, there's no way that I would be able to resist him. He's freaking adorable! Whenever he's around, I feel like a stupid fangirl, er fanboy. At least he notices me, though, and he might think of me almost as a friend. 

'That's enough for me,' I keep telling myself. 

If I can just be his friend, I'll be fine, but I know that isn't the case.

"Sasuke totally likes you," she says angrily.

"No. He can't," I gasp. "If I even thought for a second that he might like me back, it would be too hard to resist. I wouldn't be able to control myself," I plead, begging her to let this drop.

"What if he confessed to you? Would you turn him down?" TenTen asks, looking genuinely concerned.

"I don't think that I'd be able to," I choke. "If he liked me back, I honestly wouldn't be able to restrain myself," I mutter, ashamed at my own shortcomings.

"Okay, well, that's not good," she hisses.

"Like you said, Ten-chan, I'm head over heels in love with Sasuke," I cry. "I don't know what to do," I mumble.

"I don't know how to help," she complains.

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	17. The Land of Waves (1)

**Chapter 17 - The Land of Waves (1)**

**Author's Note: This is it, the beginning of the first main arc of my fanfic. Just to let you guys know where I plan on going with this story, I'm going to do the mission in the Land of Waves and the Chuunin Exams. The Chuunin Exams will be heavily altered and the Land of the Waves will have some Akatsuki action and an OC. Last chapter, you got some one-sided SasuNaru/NaruSasu, and it will be similar in this chapter. If you're uncomfortable with any of this, stop reading here. Thanks for being so encouraging. Since I'll be in Summer Track and Driver's Ed this summer, I won't have much time to write, which is why my update schedule will slow down considerably until I get further ahead in my writing. The next update will be on July 2nd. After that, I'm not sure. I want to be finished with my story before I start weekly updates again. Once I'm done, I'll probably do tri-weekly updates for you guys. Sorry for having a life! I didn't mean that as an insult, it's just that I usually don't!**

**Editor’s Note: At this point, I still had no idea why exactly Naruto was so powerful. I had zero ideas for an actual ending. This is why you write with the end in mind, previous Quinne. Anywho, come harass me on through the links in my bio and take a look at my Redbubble shop!**

**Chapter 17**

**The Next Morning - Sasuke's P.O.V.**

I arrive at the gate early, hoping for some peace from my fangirls. They're absolutely relentless. They follow me everywhere, and even though I only want peace and quiet, I'm constantly barraged by questions and squeals. It's annoying as all hell. There's only one person who I like to be annoyed by, which is as close to non-familial love as I've ever gotten. 

Naruto is my closest friend, but then again, he's pretty much my only friend. I haven't been alone with him since graduation. Kakashi or Sakura or someone is always there. I never have a chance to talk to him or voice my feelings. Then again, confessing sounds embarrassing, and I honestly doubt that Naruto likes me anyway. 

Despite what the entire female population of Konoha wants to believe, I am in fact gay. Or bisexual. I've never liked a girl, but I've had a crush on Naruto since we first met. It's embarrassing, especially for me. I almost wish that I had someone to confide in. 

I lean against the wall, hoping for anyone, especially Naruto, to show up quickly. Just talking to him alone like we used to would be enough, but he never arrives before Sakura or Kakashi or someone else gets there. I close my eyes, but keep my guard up, not wanting to be ambushed. Then again, being ambushed by Naruto might be fun. And then I have to mentally slap myself for being even slightly perverted. I feel heat on my face and hope that I'm not blushing.

"Sasuke-kun!" I hear Sakura call from afar. 

I hold back a groan and open my eyes, watching Sakura continue towards me with a bag over her shoulders and her hand in the air in a friendly wave. I don't shout back. It seems like a childish thing to do, greeting your teammate like that. She is, by far, my favorite fan girl. She's toned down quite a bit since we had team assignments, which is nice. 

"How are you this morning, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asks once she reaches me, setting her bag down beside mine. 

Her face is slightly flushed, and her lips are parted, catching her breath. Thank god she's not still blushing and squealing over my "hotness."

"If any one of my other fangirls come, scare them away from me, would you?" I request boredly. 

Sakura is also really good at getting rid of the other fan girls. I request it from her every time she asks me how I'm doing. The request conveys my typical mood perfectly, so why not?

"Are the others being a bit too persistent for Sasuke-kun's liking?" Sakura teases warmly, chuckling. 

I reopen my eyes just to glare at her. I may be more open with my teammates, but that doesn't mean that I like being made fun of. 

"Relax, I'm kidding!" she giggles. "I know that you don't like any of them," she states with a secretive smirk. 

I raise an eyebrow, hoping to dear god that she doesn't think that I like her of all people. 

"Or me, for that matter," she sighs. 

Okay, good, but who on earth does she think that I like? I don't ever show signs of liking anyone, even as friends! Yesterday was just an exception. 

"But that's alright! I knew that I didn't have a chance from the start," she mutters. 

No, no she didn't. I'm gay, so no girl does. But now I'm confused. Sakura is probably one of the few people that actually knows a substantial bit about me, although not by any choice of my own. Even I don't know what she's talking about. She doesn't know that I like Naruto, right? She can't know. 

There's not enough pieces to that puzzle. Even Shikamaru isn't smart enough to put nothing and nothing together and come up with something. Nothing plus nothing equals nothing. Sakura has nothing and more nothing. There's no way that she knows anything. Or something, for that matter. 

"You don't swing that way," she titters. 

Shit.

"What?" I ask, trying to appear totally bewildered. 

'Honestly, how did she figure it out? I didn't think I was being that obvious, besides yesterday,' I think. 

She added nothing and nothing and got something. That is mathematically incorrect. Plus, this could mean that I'm in deep shit. I really, really don't want to be a part of the Clan Restoration Act.

"You like Naruto," Sakura hisses quietly. 

I feel the blood rush to my face as my eyes widen in shock. I didn't think that she'd figure it out. This is bad, this is really bad. If she's jealous, she had best just tell me now. I mean, I'm not going to stop liking Naruto, but I don't want anyone stabbing me in the back. This is the opposite of what I meant when I wanted someone to confide in. This situation leaves only two very important questions: Does Naruto know? and, Is Sakura going to tell anyone? 

"I could never like that dobe," I deny, but even I know that I'm a crappy liar. 

Sakura's scrutinizing gaze can see right through my facade. Especially because I'm blushing like a schoolgirl. This is one of the most embarrassing situations I've ever been subjected to in my entire life.

"Oh really?" she teases. "Then why did you get so jealous when Naruto went to hang out with TenTen yesterday?" she asks, almost serious, but not quite. 

Of course, the one thing that I've ever done in the history of ever that could possibly, maybe, point to me liking a girl is the thing that gets me found out for liking my male best friend. I don't even see the logic in Sakura's thinking. I mean, she's right, but how on earth did she figure it out?

"Th - that wasn't anything," I stutter in denial. 

And now the entire universe shall be alerted to what a sucky liar I am, and no, brain, don't go there. Don't even think about thinking about that thing that I shouldn't be thinking about.

"Sure," she says in a sing-song voice. "Just admit it, Sasuke," she snaps, dropping the -kun for the first time since I've known her. "You like Naruto," Sakura states. 

I flinch as she says it, glancing around to make sure that no one is in hearing distance. Then again, I doubt that Sakura would start this conversation if there was any hint of danger for my reputation.

"No I don't," I argue. 

She gives me a look, quirking an eyebrow. Her eyes lock on mine. They're pretty and all, but Naruto's are flat out gorgeous. I wish he was here. Great. Now I'm turning into a sappy romantic idiot. What has Naruto done to me? Ruined me, that's what. Well, not yet. No, brain, don't go there.

"Sasuke, I spent all of my time watching you. I know how you get," she states. "I know that you like him already, so just admit it!" she proclaims. 

It's creepy to think that one of my teammates used to stalk me. If it was Naruto, though, I doubt that I would mind. Hell, I'd probably invite him in and—nope. Seriously, I am having some problems today.

"No," I say stubbornly. "I don't like him," I say again. 

Sakura sighs in exasperation and glares at me. I'm a tiny bit scared of her brute strength, but I don't think that she would actually hit me. She would just send me flying like a rag doll with her fists. Okay, maybe not just a tiny bit.

"If you tell me, with words, that you like Naruto, I'll find out who Naruto likes," she offers tantalizingly. 

That offer is just too tempting to pass up, but doing something so embarrassing makes my skin crawl. If I can find out who Naruto likes, I could threaten them to make them turn Naruto down. But then, Naruto wouldn't be happy. But then, he might fall for me instead. But he'd be devastated. I could cheer him up. Pssh, I suck at cheering people up. But I'd do anything for him. Decision time, Sasuke.

"I don't like Naruto," I repeat. Sakura huffs, but I gesture for her to come closer. She leans a bit toward me and I say, "I'm in love with him." 

I'm absolutely sure that my face is scarlet right about now, but I couldn't care less. I'll get to find out who Naruto likes. Even if he'll never like me, knowing that little tidbit would make me feel better. Sakura's jaw drops and she holds her hands against her mouth, squealing like the fangirl she is. Her cheeks are pink.

"I ship it!" she hisses. 

At least she's squealing about something I would squeal about if I didn't have any dignity. Honestly, if it turns out that Naruto likes me, I would totally squeal like a little girl. Naruto is the only person that I would totally surrender myself to. I guess love makes you do crazy things.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

I hear Sakura squeal, "I ship it!" and vaguely wonder what exactly her and Sasuke are whispering about down by the gate. Whatever Sakura ships can't be a good thing. Unless it's Sasuke and I. Oh, who am I kidding, it's not us. Sasuke doesn't even like me. Still, we'd be an adorable couple. 

'Oh, shut up, brain!' 

I shout at myself. Kurama growls in protest of the sound.

I'm about ten minutes early, so I shouldn't expect the client for another five minutes. I haven't had a chance to speak to Kakashi about the seriousness of this mission yet, and I don't bother to make my presence known to my teammates. I need to find a way to communicate with Kakashi, but I'm not quite sure how. There's nothing that wouldn't raise the others' suspicion. 

I could signal him with chakra flares and spike my chakra in morse code. There's always the opportunity of the message getting warped. Other people may detect it as well, and it takes a lot of concentration. Chakra signals are a no. Should I just let him figure it out for himself? He'd probably kill me, but screwing with the pup sounds like a good reason to do anything.

"How long have you been here?!" I hear Sasuke yelp suddenly. 

I sense them both stare at me with wide eyes and pale faces. They look absolutely terrified. 

'Were they talking about Sasuke's crush? Is that why he appears to be embarrassed? But Sakura looks almost scared. Then again, angering or embarrassing Sasuke is like asking to be hanged and castrated. God, I want to know who Sasuke likes,' I think, making a mental note to interrogate Sakura later. 

I don't know why they would be so frightened; it isn't such a big deal. Then again, this is Mr.-I-will-never-look-at-you-twice-nor-will-I-speak-to-you-Uchiha. The thought nearly makes me chuckle, but I resist the urge.

"I just got here," I shrug. "What were you two squealing about?" I ask teasingly. 

I quirk an eyebrow and shoot a knowing smirk Sasuke's way. Is that a swoon I sense? Surely not. It doesn't change the fact that he's crazy adorable, though. Shut up, me. Even though you're right. Ugh.

"I was not squealing!" Sasuke argues, his voice at a slightly higher pitch than usual. 

My shoulders shake slightly with silent laughter. Sakura giggles at Sasuke's indignation. Sasuke is absolutely precious. I once thought that the tiny, easily embarrassed Sasuke was long gone, but boy, was I wrong. He's so cute. He'd totally kill me if I said that. I kind of want to risk the death sentence though. God, how have I ever controlled myself before. 

I sense Tazuna walking towards us sluggishly. He must still be slightly hung over. That is so irritating. I hate drunks. Stupid, lazy drunks. I really don't want to do this mission. Not only will it put Sasuke's life in eminent danger, but the client is also an alcoholic. Those two things are the worst combination for me.

"I think that the client is near," I say, dropping my voice to a whisper even though a regular volume would have been perfectly hidden by the racket of the streets. 

Sasuke and Sakura both nod and straighten up again, each one shouldering their packs. 

"I swear to god, if he's still hung over, I might just kill him," I hiss. 

If I didn't love Hokage-sama like the grandfather I'll never know, I would totally kill him. I'm still considering breaking the old man's pipe.

"What do you have against people getting drunk?" Sakura asks sharply. 

Do I detect some sore subject here? Great, now I have two things to interrogate the pinkette about.

"Nothing good comes from getting drunk," I state. "Sometimes, you hurt someone," I murmur, thinking of all the drunk villagers that gave me scars. "Other times, you're rude to people or you can't think straight. Some people gamble away all of their money while drunk," I hiss, remembering Jiraiya and Tsunade. 

"It's simply no good to drown one's sorrows with alcohol," I explain, sounding for a moment as if I know everything. 

This is one of those few times where I actually sound like I know what I'm talking about, and it's a relief to let some of my true self through this suffocating mask. I hate constantly pretending to be someone that I'm not. It's exhausting, even for someone with as much stamina as I have. I'm an Uzumaki and I'm still exhausted most of the time.

"Hey," Tazuna barks as he approaches. "Are you kids going to be my escort?" he asks roughly. 

We all turn towards the man, taking him in for all of his flaws, of which there are many. I rarely have the opportunity to do escort missions (for some reason, people don't like trying to make small talk with an emotionless murderer) but even the few that I have had were better than this guy. More important, too, but I guess this guy is probably pretty important. He's building another transport route for his land, which will disrupt Gato's iron-fist rule over the place. Okay, so I guess that he's kind of important, but I still don't like the guy. Drunk people make me mad, what can I say?

"Who else would we be, asswipe?" I taunt. 

This guy is incredibly irritating, looking down on us just because we're young. He doesn't know a thing about us. I've always hated people looking down on me. In the ANBU, I would wipe the floor with their faces until they learned not to tease their taichou.

"Naruto!" Sakura hisses. "That's no way to address a client!" she scolds.

"Meh, I don't care." I huff. 

As if she even knows how to address a proper client. I can do whatever I want. My status will shut them all up. Looking down on us is the worst mistake you can make. I won't be underestimated. It pisses me off. Not only that, but it pisses Kurama off too. Double anger, double trouble. His anger affects me, my anger affects him. Pissing me off is a bad idea in general. And to think that I was in a decent mood earlier today.

"You little," Tazuna growls. 

Anger swells in me, and for once, I feel like killing someone without a proper reason. I'm not typically that heartless. I'm heartless, but not usually cruel. 

'Kurama, knock it off!' I scold, catching the fox lord's influence.

"I have a piece of advice for you, Tazuna-san," I say chirpily. I don't wait for his response. "Don't piss off a shinobi. They'll find a way to make your life hell while still fulfilling their mission and bringing honor to their village," I say threateningly. 

Of course, no one knows how much practice I've had with making my clients' lives hell, but I know just how terrifying I can be, and that's more than enough. Kurama growls at me, and I feel my anger spike. I growl back at the stupid fox trying to get me to do stupid things.

"I don't have to listen to a little kid like you!" Tazuna argues indignantly. 

Adults are always nervous when they realize that a little kid has more power and smarticles than them. And yes, smarticles is my new made-up word because I'm fucking fabulous. The haters gon' hate. 'Dem bitches are stupid as fuck anyway.

"Oh, but you should," Kakashi hums, strolling up next to Tazuna and slapping a hand on his shoulder. "That kid there, the blond-ish one?" Kakashi points out. Tazuna stares at Kakashi's buff build in something akin to jealousy, but tries to pay attention. "He's absolutely terrifying. His glare makes grown men piss their pants," he chuckles. "He's the King of Pranksters, and trust me, you've already made him angry enough already," Kakashi warns. Kakashi-nii is great when he backs me up, I just wish that he would do it more often.

"Made him mad? We barely met and he's the one insulting me!" Tazuna shouts. "I won't submit to a little boy," he states. Kakashi gives him an almost sympathetic look and Sasuke groans slightly in empathy.

"Then prepare for my little otouto-san over there to make your life hell for the next several weeks," Kakashi smirks. "He hates drunks, Tazuna-san." he clarifies. I sense Tazuna pale and I chuckle at the reaction. "Okay!" Kakashi cheers, clapping his hands together. "Are we ready?" he asks happily.

"You need to sign us out of the village, Kakashi-nii." I remind. 

"We need to sign out?" Sakura asks.

"Yeah." I hum. "It's easier for jii-san to keep track of his shinobi if they sign out before leaving," I explain. 

Sakura nods and Sasuke hums. Tazuna just gives me a disbelieving look like he can't believe that I'm the smart one.

"I don't want to walk that far," Kakashi deadpans, gesturing childishly to the guard post only a few yards away. "Naru-chan?" he pouts hopefully. I sigh.

"Alright, alright," I huff. I start walking across the road.

"Naruto can sign us out even though he isn't an adult or our sensei?" I hear Sasuke ask.

"Um, technically, no," Kakashi grins sheepishly. "But he signs me out all the time when I forget to, so it's okay!" he says hurriedly.

"What kind of sensei are you?" Tazuna says, horrified.

"The kind who's always late to everything and barely trains his pupils," Sasuke and Sakura say in unison. The grin at each other.

"Maa, maa, you two are much more fit than you were during the bell test!" Kakashi argues.

"Your students are more responsible than you?" Tazuna asks.

"Well, to be fair, I've known Naruto since he was four years old," Kakashi says smugly. I tune out their conversation as I stop in front of today's guards.

"Izumo-san, Kotetsu-san," I greet, flashing the two chuunin a large, toothy grin.

"Hey there, Naru-kun!" they reply ecstatically. 

"Do you guys think that I could get away with signing out team 7?" I ask sheepishly. 

"You know that we love you, Naru-kun, so sure, why not?" Kotetsu agrees. Izumo nods warmly. 

I start filling out the blanks on the sign-out sheet from memory after double-checking the next open spot.

"So, how are you two doing?" I ask.

"Pretty good," Izumo says.

"Guard duty is boring," Kotetsu sighs. "How are you doing?" he asks.

"Oh! I'm doing pretty well," I chuckle. "It's my team's first C-ranked mission, so I'm pretty excited," I chirp.

"Not your first C-rank, though," Izumo chuckles secretively. 

Yes, the guards know that I'm Kitsune-sama too. No, I didn't mean for them to find out. Yes, Hokage-sama punished me for slipping up. I always felt stupid when I remembered my slip up. I had written my name instead of signing Kitsune. 

It was so stupid, but they swore to keep my identity a secret. So, now Izumo and Kotetsu are two of the few people outside the ANBU that know who I am. I feel the blood rush to my face as I sign my name and shoot them both a shy smile.

"Good luck, Naru!" they call as I wave, strolling back to my team and our new client.

"Done!" I chirp.

"Good, good," Kakashi sighs. "We just did introductions," he explains as I raise an eyebrow at their awkward silence. 

"You guys are hopeless without me," I mutter. 

"What do you mean by that?" Sakura snaps. 

"You guys all suck at small talk," I clarify. 

"I won't deny that," Sasuke says, the smile evident in his voice.

"Well, let's go!" Kakashi interrupts. And with that, we set off.

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

"So, what are you thinking about, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asks. I can't help but let my gaze wander to Naruto. He looks distracted and alert at the same time. How's that even possible? His eyes dart back and forth, yet he looks like he isn't even seeing anything. He looks distracted, like he's paying attention to something else. You probably wouldn't catch his attention if you burned him alive.

"I'm just thinking about something Kakashi-sensei said to me yesterday," I reply, keeping my tone neutral. 

Sakura's smart, so maybe she could help me solve this puzzle. How strong is stronger than I think? Naruto's been avoiding me since then, and he seems like he knows pretty much everything that happens in the village. 

"He's pretty cryptic, isn't he?" I point out. 

Sakura's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. She had obviously taken my silence as the end of the conversation.

"Well, he was in the ANBU, so I suppose it would make sense for him to be a bit cryptic when need be," Sakura agrees. 

She has a thoughtful look on her face. I guess she also thought that I was talking about Kakashi. I guess she can't read minds.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," I reply. 

Naruto is also extremely secretive. I don't know if she's seen the calculating look hiding behind his mismatched eyes. She's smart, and she's observant, but how far does that go? Just how often can she get something from nothing?

"What was it about? What did he say?" she asks. "Maybe I can help you figure it out," she offers. 

It's exactly the response that I wanted to hear, and yet I find myself hesitant to talk about it. It's a touchy subject, and I don't like talking about it. If I ever want to figure anything out, I need to be able to say it.

"It was about the Uchiha massacre," I murmur, my volume dropping low. Sakura's eyebrows scrunch together in worry. "I don't think that Itachi was really the mastermind behind it," I confess, hoping that she won't think badly of me for doubting my own memories. "He said that there's only one person that would know the truth about the Uchiha massacre, and that's the commander of the ANBU," I declare. 

"Oh. Did Kakashi-sensei say who the commander is?" she asks. She looks a bit worried about me. I almost wish that it was Naruto who I was speaking to.

"He told me the commander's code name, but nothing else about him. Said that he's pretty secretive," I answer. She nods to herself.

"Do you have any idea who it could be?" Sakura ponders aloud.

"No, nothing," I reply, disheartened. "I wouldn't know of anyone so powerful," I explain.

"What do you mean?" she asks. "How powerful is he?" Sakura looks almost uncomfortable.

"Well, you heard Kakashi say yesterday that he learned his lesson the first time the commander beat him," I point out.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she ponders. The thought that there's someone strong enough to beat Kakashi in our own village is rather hard to comprehend. "So, what are you going to do about you-know-what? Or should I say you-know-who?" she whispers in a taunting voice.

"Don't talk about that now," I hiss, my eyes widening and my face heating up.

"Why not? It's not like he's paying attention," Sakura grumbles.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't doubt that Kakashi and Tazuna are," I shush her.

"Are you kidding me? They're so deep into their conversation about the Land of the Waves that you wouldn't be able to catch that joker's attention with a stick!" she protests.

"He's smarter than you think, Sakura," I argue.

"Yeah, he is pretty smart. ANBU and all," Sakura agrees. "But I don't think that he really cares," she considers, her voice strict. She tucks her hair behind her ears and gives me a stern, almost demanding look.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I think that he pays attention to everything, but he only cares about the things that he likes," she explains. "If we talk about something he deems is unimportant, he simply won't care." she concludes

"I suppose that he is rather self-centered," I agree. "But still, I'm not going to talk about that," I counter. 

Sakura's theory is most likely accurate, but that doesn't change the fact that Kakashi can definitely hear what we're talking about. If Kakashi were to find out that I like Naruto, there would be no doubt that Naruto would find out too. I struggle not to flinch at that thought.

"Ugh! Alright, fine!" Sakura grumbles. 

I smirk at her antics. She'd be good to have as a friend. I was really worried this morning. I figured that she would be jealous. I'm glad that she's stopped being such an annoying banshee. She'll actually be a pretty good teammate.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

I listen as Kurama recounts tales from his jinchuurikis' lives, something he had recently started doing whenever I get bored. I know to keep my guard up, but I like listening to the low, rumbling voice. I once thought that Kurama's voice was demonic and sinister, but when he speaks to me, the tone changes. It's a low, smooth sound that's extremely calming. I briefly wonder what it would sound like to listen to Kurama sing. 

**"Shut the hell up with that nonsense, kit!"** Kurama barks in frustration. 

'Hey! I never had parents to sing me lullabies, so I think that you should start!' I protest. 

Before we can get on with our little spat, I sense something besides dirt, grass, and trees. I sense whatever-it-is's surface ripple slightly and I lessen the force of my chakra in response. A puddle about a mile away from where we are now, and it hasn't rained in months. Well, Kakashi's going to learn just how bad this mission is in a few minutes. Kurama stays deathly quiet after I sense the puddle. 

Sasuke and Sakura talk to each other in low voices, something about the Uchiha Massacre. I catch something about myself and make a mental note to scold Kakashi later. I tune out the rest of their conversation, turning to Kakashi's instead. 

He and Tazuna are talking about the Land of Waves, and I smile. Tazuna carefully avoids answering any questions that would make Kakashi suspicious of the rank of this mission. Despite Tazuna's efforts, Kakashi and the genin are about to find out the truth.

As soon as the puddle is in sight, I know that Kakashi sees it. He tenses up just the tiniest bit, telling me all that I need to know. I can sense two chakra signatures within the puddle, both seemingly from Kirigakure no Sato. 

I allow myself to stiffen a bit as well and notice Sasuke's and Sakura's eyes dart over to glance at the puddle in confusion. I smirk in triumph. The genin are learning fast. I know of some chuunin and even a jonin who would've missed it. We pass by without a problem. A split second after we pass the puddle, all hell breaks loose.

Two chains shoot out of the puddle, their two ugly owners following a blink later. I recognize them by their weapons. The demon brothers Meizu and Gozu. That means that I'm right, they're from Kiri. Their chains slice through Kakashi, or should I say the log that he expertly switched with and placed a genjutsu on simultaneously. 

I need to keep Sasuke away from them, but with the nature of Kakashi's escape, there's no way in hell that he'll stay out of the fight. And while Sakura has gotten stronger, she still isn't very confident in her fighting ability, not that she has any reason to be, of course. The demon brothers are known for poisoning their weapons, so as long as I guard Sasuke, he'll probably be alright.

Sasuke draws out a kunai and a handful of shuriken, arranging them in his hand expertly while the brothers collect themselves, and takes a defensive stance several steps closer to the brothers than I'd like him to be. Sakura takes out two kunai and moves closer to Tazuna, standing in front of him protectively. Smirking, I activate one of my seals, withdrawing my katana. I slip into an offensive stance, moving forward to be just a few paces to Sasuke's left. 

"One down, and three to go!" the brothers chuckle in a sing-song tone. 

That just irks me. They think that my puppy would get taken out that easily. I remember from the bingo book that these two are chuunin level. Sasuke probably won't struggle much with them, especially if they're this lacking in common sense. The only one of us mourning Kakashi's "death" is Tazuna, so that should tell you something. Sakura's good with genjutsu, so there's no doubt that she saw right through it. And honestly, do I even need to consider Sasuke not seeing through it? Just saying, he's brilliant.

"If you're ready to go, then do it," I growl at them. I sense them smirk as they rush Sasuke and I. 

Gozu is a millisecond slower than Meizu, but they're mirroring each other. They have power in their numbers. I sense Sasuke twist out of the way of one of the chains and block the other with his kunai. Even though I know Sasuke's strength, this is still too close for comfort for me. 

I sprint forward, katana at the ready and go in for a strike. Gozu just manages to twist away from my blade, but I anticipate the action, sliding my katana into Meizu's chest as Gozu dodges. Meizu coughs up blood in surprise and I sense Sasuke keep Gozu at bay with three carefully aimed shuriken. My sword went through Meizu's chest two-and-a-third millimeters to the right of his heart, just where I wanted it. If I twist my blade, his heart gets the hit.

"Stop!" I bark. 

"Get your sword out of my brother," Gozu begs. 

"Answer my questions, and I will," I barter.

"Okay! Fine! Anything!" Gozu pleads.

"Who are you after?" I ask.

"The bridge builder," Gozu sobs. I nod to myself.

"Who do you work for?" I ask, so concentrated with my line of questioning that I don't notice the coil in Meizu's muscles, nor the sharp switchblade he had withdrawn from a pocket somewhere.

I did, however, notice when the blade buried itself deep into my abdomen. I didn't cry out. I jerked my blade up, hurting Meizu significantly while also throwing him a ways away.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried in alarm at seeing the blood seep into my orange hoodie. Sasuke throws a kunai at Meizu, which Gozu barely deflects.

"You monster!" Gozu hisses. 

I bare my teeth at him in a growl and release my katana, summoning my bo staff instead. I immediately settle into a defensive position. Nausea nearly makes me double over and I realize with a start that Meizu had poisoned his little switchblade. 

"Our job is done," he says solemnly, scooping his brother into his arms.

"Tazuna isn't dead yet, nimrod," I snarl.

"Tazuna wasn't our target, Kitsune-sama," Geizu taunts. 

Kakashi is immediately out of the trees as I lose control of my chakra, my fabricated vision going hazy. My knees buckle and I barely register soft, yet strong arms wrapping around me and pulling me against a warm, muscular chest. It isn't Kakashi. It's Sasuke. 

'This must be a fast-acting poison. There goes my cover, I guess,' is my last thought before losing consciousness.

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

When I see Naruto go down, I don't even think. I grab him and pull his body against my own to keep him upright. Kakashi is instantly by my side and we all watch helplessly as the two ninja disappear. Kakashi turns toward Naruto and I. I glance down at him. Naruto's eyes are closed.

"He's unconscious," I report.

"The demon brothers are known for poisoning their weapons," Kakashi states harshly. "Naruto knew that. He shouldn't have let himself get hurt," he scolds to no one in particular.

"Why did those two guys call Naruto Kitsune-sama?" Sakura asks, stepping forward.

"You don't need to know," Kakashi mutters. "Tazuna, this isn't truly a C-rank mission, is it?" he asks.

"I don't think so," Tazuna mumbles.

"At the moment, I'm judging this as a B or A-rank mission, and you don't think so?" he interrogates harshly. 

Tazuna flinches and pales slightly. It's always a bad idea to piss off a ninja of any kind, but I can tell that our client is going to get himself into something very bad if I don't intervene. Kakashi is upset that Naruto's hurt, which I understand perfectly, but he shouldn't take it out on the client.

"Tazuna, why don't you tell us why you requested a C-rank mission instead of a higher ranked mission?" I ask quickly.

"My people simply can't afford it. Even our feudal lords are poor," he states. "I'm truly sorry for putting you in danger, but if you don't help me now, my land will forever be poor and unwell. A tycoon named Gato has taken over all import and export. He'll continue to have complete control over us unless we build that bridge," he says, his eyes shining fiercely. "We've all lost so much to that man already, please don't let us lose anything else," he pleads.

"Kakashi," I mutter. He sighs dramatically.

"Naruto is a fan of helping people, sensei," Sakura points out helpfully.

"You two are going to be the death of me," he groans. "Literally," he adds.

"Come on, Kakashi," I plead, cradling Naruto a little closer.

"Fine," Kakashi grumbles. "We'll help the bridge builder," he sighs. 

Sakura cheers. I give Kakashi a big grin, one similar to Naruto's.

"Thank you very much," Tazuna gasps, looking relieved. "I'll lead you to my home. Your friend can rest there. It's not too far," he says.

"I'll carry him," I volunteer hastily. 

Kakashi gives me an odd look and Sakura smirks at me knowingly. I pick Naruto up bridal style and give the pinkette a withering glare. She'd better not tell Kakashi anything. I'd kill her.

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

To be fair, I guess that I was a bit jealous at first. Someone besides me caught Sasuke-kun's attention. I'd been vying for him for so long, I'd long since forgotten what it was like to just be me. At heart, I don't think I ever actually liked Sasuke. Not in the romantic sense, anyway. 

People say that the things that are widely accepted and supported are tempting to give in to, and now that I've had my own run in with that, I can conclude that whoever started that saying was right. My mother told me of a time when she had whipped a young boy simply because everyone else was doing it. Normally, she'd never hurt a fly. I guess that you could call it peer pressure. 

I spent so much time on Sasuke that I didn't spend any time on myself. Besides that, I hardly gave it a second thought when one of Naruto's eyes turned violet. Even Ino asked if he was alright. I have to admit, that petty rivalry with her was stupid and self-centered. Like Sasuke said, I know a lot about that.

For the longest time, I didn't even think twice about the odd looks that Naruto would get sometimes. It was usually when one of the fangirls did something crazy. It was like he knew exactly what was going on. Not only that, but he's actually very observant. He's smart and fast. He's more capable than he lets on. 

I don't know if he knows for sure that I've begun noticing more and more, but I know that he's seen it. I bet that he's the type to make himself a mental checklist. 1. Buy groceries 2. Talk to Sasuke because I love him (I totally see it) 3. Figure out why Sakura's acting oddly. I can already tell that Naruto is that type of person.

"Is this your home, Tazuna?" Kakashi asks the bridge builder. 

It's a pretty humble little building, but it has two stories, which is pretty cool. It's on top of a hill, and I have to admit that I'm surprised that Sasuke isn't exhausted yet. Love can make you do crazy things, I guess.

"Yes. Just so you know, I have a daughter and a grandson," he replies. 

He steps forward, leaving us a few steps behind him and knocks on the door. I hear locks clicking and the door opens. It opens a tiny bit as a young woman peers out from a crack, and then the woman flings the door open and jumps into Tazuna's arms. 

Tazuna chuckles. "Tsunami, I'm fine," he assures his daughter.

"I'm just so happy to see you, tou-san!" Tsunami exclaims.

"I should introduce you to the ninja who made it all possible," he says warmly, pulling away from the girl a bit. She nods before looking at us.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi, and this is my team: Sakura, Sasuke, and the unconscious one is Naruto," Kakashi says with a gentle smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Please, come in!" she says quickly, holding the door open for us. "Did you all encounter trouble on the way here? Will Naruto be alright?" she asks, genuinely concerned. She seems to be a good person.

"We encountered a bit of trouble, yes. Naruto will be fine after some rest, I'm sure," Kakashi replies.

"I'll show you to a room for him," Tsunami offers. 

We all follow Tsunami. Sasuke gives Kakashi a meaningful look, trying not to jostle Naruto around.

"Kakashi, didn't you say that those ninja that attacked us are known for poisoning their weapons?" Tazuna asks on our way up.

"Oh dear! Does your friend need medical attention?" Tsunami asks.

"No, he'll be fine," Kakashi assures. "He has an immunity to quite a few poisons and has a powerful healing ability," he explains.

"Ah, that's good to hear," Tsunami sighs, relieved. She opens the door to a small room. "I apologize, but we only have two guest rooms. You'll have to split them," she says softly, turning away.

"That's fine," Kakashi replies. 

I rush into the room and begin setting up Naruto's sleeping bag from his pack. Sasuke waits patiently in the doorway with an unconscious Naruto nestled in his arms. The second I finish, I bolt up, ready to help Sasuke get Naruto down, but he waves me away. 

Sasuke gently sets Naruto in his sleeping bag, pulling back a bit to close it. Naruto's arms suddenly latch onto him and yank Sasuke down into a hug. Naruto is still firmly unconscious. Kakashi glances over and suppresses a chuckle. Sasuke can't seem to get free. I purse my lips to avoid laughing.

"It looks like you'll be rooming with Naruto, Sasuke," he chuckles. 

"Don't just stand there and laugh! Help me!" Sasuke snaps.

"I don't think that leaving him alone would be a good idea, and he obviously likes it when you're near. Why don't you just stay here and keep an eye on him? We'll bring you up food," Kakashi offers. 

Sasuke stops struggling. Naruto's arms loosen a bit and he works himself free, keeping a hand clasped around Naruto's wrists to keep him from latching on.

"Fine," Sasuke agrees, unable to look us in the eyes. 

Tsunami giggles. I can't take my eyes off the blush painting Sasuke's cheeks.

"Alright. Sakura, come on. We need to figure out something for dinner," Kakashi instructs. 

"Oh, no you don't! I can at least feed the people who are helping my father!" Tsunami protests, immediately storming off down the stairs.

"Okay. Um, I guess that Tsunami-san will make us dinner," Kakashi mutters. "Close the door," he orders me. I take one last glance into the room before closing the door. 

Sasuke's blushing like a fool and petting Naruto's hair with a fond look in his eyes. Naruto has now nearly climbed out of his sleeping bag in order to lock his arms around Sasuke's waist. Naruto's head rests in Sasuke's lap, a happy look on his face. I close the door noiselessly, overcome by a happy feeling. My teammates are totally in love with each other.

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	18. The Land of Waves (2)

**Chapter 18 - The Land of Waves (2)**

**Editor’s Note: Wowie, chapter 17! As I’m editing all of this, I feel like I might be setting this up for a more satisfying ending than the original! I’d be pretty happy if that ends up being the case. We’ll see, though. Come join my imaginary mafia by following the links in my bio! Or get yourself some fun stuff from my Redbubble! Because I am poor.**

**Chapter 18**

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

My head is pounding furiously. A sharp pain settled deep in my head, enough to make me whimper quietly. My hands wrench themselves toward my temples, where the pounding originates from. 

I feel my body positioned around something soft, yet firm. By the scent, I can tell that it's Sasuke. His chest rises and falls slowly. He's asleep, and I have been sleeping on his chest. 

‘Oh boy, oh boy, don’t panic! Just cuddling with your crush! It’s fine!’ 

I hesitantly reach out with my Sensory, feeling the pain grow as I do. I try to open my eyes, but the pain suddenly doubles as I try to squint. 

'Kurama?' I ask. 

**"Kit, that, ah, poison was something funny."** he says. He sounds almost relieved. **"Keep trying to open your eyes,"** Kurama advises. 

'Why? What's going on?' 

**"Just trust me, Naru,"** he pleads. 

I huff in defeat and worm my way out of Sasuke's embrace. He stirs, beginning to open his own eyes. I squint again, immediately shielding my eyes with my hand.

"Naruto?" Sasuke's voice calls. He sounds far away due to my distortion. "Are you alright? Hey," he mutters, touching my shoulder. 

The suddenness of the action makes my eyes snap open, therefore resulting in a harsh flinch and a strangled sound of pain from deep in my chest. 

"Is it your head?" he asks as my eyes squint back to an almost-closed position.

"Just give me a second," I growl. 

Slowly, the pain begins to fade. I open my eyes a bit more. Suddenly, I'm gaping, meeting an onyx-eyed gaze. 

"Oh my god." I whisper.

"Are you feeling better now?" Sasuke asks. 

His jet black hair frames his pale, thin face nicely and spikes out in the back. His eyes are gorgeous and practically glowing. His brows are scrunched up in worry. There's obviously some sort of window behind him, making him look almost angelic. He's quite fit, although obviously shorter than me. He has high cheekbones and he looks almost regal. It's easy to see why the young Uchiha has fangirls. 

"I can see," I whisper in awe. 

Sasuke arches an eyebrow in confusion. I look down at my own tan hands before glancing back up at the young Uchiha who can only be defined as ethereal. It's somehow fitting that he's the first that I see. I've always liked him for his personality, but now I understood exactly why he has so many fangirls. He's gorgeous. I might have to track down a Sasuke fan club and join it. 

"I - I mean, get Kakashi please," I correct, willing away the heat in my cheeks. 

I need a minute to collect myself and prepare myself for the next time I look into his eyes. Seeing my crush for the first time is making my heart beat out of my chest and the blood rush to my face.

‘That poison was something funny, huh? What the hell is going on?’

**“Well it attacked your nervous system. Pretty violently,”** Kurama starts. **“Before, you had a new set of eyes that couldn’t connect properly to your nerves, and the poison damaged your nervous system. It would have killed anyone that didn’t have a tailed beast to magically heal them,”**

"Yeah. I'll be right back," Sasuke says. I nod absently.

He stands up and quickly rushes out of the room. I hear his feet thump lightly down the hall. I lengthen my Sensory range again, blinking as I suddenly laid eyes on the world through two sets of eyes. I sense Kakashi and Sasuke rushing back to the room, not paying attention to the words that had been exchanged. I can sense Tazuna and two others who I don't know. This is most likely Tazuna's home, and those people are likely what's left of the old man's family.

‘So I have new nerves that connect properly to my eyes?’ I ask.

**“I mean, that’s my best guess, yeah,”** Kurama answers.

"Naru?" Kakashi asks from the doorway. 

I was so lost in thought that I hadn't even noticed the door being flung open. I turn abruptly. It's definitely Kakashi. Silver hair, dark eye, face mask, hitai-ate pulled down over his eyes. 

"Is everything alright?" he asks hesitantly, trying not to make me feel like a cripple. 

His skin is fairly pale. He isn't as pale as Sasuke, but he has an almost olive skin tone that's pleasing to the eye.

"I can see," I state, keeping the emotion out of my voice. 

His eye widens. He rushes forward and scoops me up into a hug, twirling me around. I laugh, gripping his shoulders. I know how strong my nii-san is, so I'm not worried about him dropping me or anything. He's overjoyed. I'm still trying to process the fact that I can freaking see! It's new, but familiar.

"What's going on?" I hear Sakura asks. 

I quickly squirm away from Kakashi to get a glance at her. Pink hair going down to her waist, and twinkling emerald eyes. Her skin is rather pale considering how much time she spends in the sun. She's developed some muscle mass. And now, I know why Hokage-sama suggested that I have a fake crush on the pinkette. She's gorgeous too. Not Sasuke-gorgeous, but beautiful in her own way. Her porcelain skin compliments her pink hair, and although everyone teases her about her forehead, I don't see anything wrong with that particular feature.

"A good thing has happened, kids," Kakashi laughs. 

Sasuke and Sakura just stare at him like he's crazy.

"I've been blind since I was four years old, and for some reason, I can see again. Probably from healing the damage caused by the poison," I explain. 

Hokage-sama most likely wanted that to be kept a secret, but now that I can see, I don't give a damn about what that old man wants. It's not like it matters anymore anyway. I can see again, so the fact that I used to be blind can no longer be used against me.

"Blind?" Sasuke and Sakura exclaim.

"That's what I said, idiots," I confirm with ease. I keep glancing around in amazement.

"How were you able to look us in the eyes then?!" Sakura exclaims.

"Sensory," I reply.

"I thought that Sensory was used to trace chakra," Sasuke says in a confused manner.

"Normally, yes," I state. "I'm a rank five-S sensor-nin, so my Sensory is extremely powerful. I can practically see with my Sensory alone. The only thing that I couldn't make out was color," I explain. 

**“You’re really going all in and just ignoring the fact that you’re supposed to be undercover, huh?”** Kurama grunts.

‘Yep, apparently,’

I look Sasuke in the eyes and immediately turn away, trying to recover the air that had left my lungs. The information about the level of my Sensory was most likely confidential, but I can't bring myself to care. I can see! 

I now only wish that I regained my sight when Itachi and Shisui were still in the village. I have the sudden urge to visit them now, for the sole purpose of seeing them for the first time. However, I've given up way too much confidential information today. No way will I put Ita-sensei and Shi-nii in potential danger. Even though I really want to see them. Damn!

"How were you able to take the written exams?" Sakura asks, snapping me out of my thoughts. 

She looks very confused and almost a bit hesitant, maybe. That's the facial expression I identify as confusion with my Sensory, so I guess so. I also suppose that it won't be too much trouble to explain, seeing as how the process is rather simplistic.

"I focused my Sensory to make out the changes in the grain of the paper. It's very time-consuming and it takes a lot of concentration. Hence why they always take me so long," I explain. 

Sakura's eyes widen in shock and Sasuke looks at me with a strange look in his eyes. He seems almost suspicious of something. And then I realize that I basically told him I'm the strongest sensor-nin in the village. And I don't know how much either of them heard from the demon brothers. And I also don't know what Sasuke's found out about me by himself. 

This could be a dangerous situation. Warning bells go off in my head, but I can't find it in me to care. I feel myself make the connection that this elation I'm feeling is probably doing more harm than good, but I studiously ignore the part of me that still cares about my mission at the moment. I notice Kakashi's slight disapproval of my rash actions.

"So what about that writing on your walls?" Sakura asks.

"What writing?" Sasuke immediately intervenes.

"Yeah. What writing?" Kakashi agrees.

"Oh, you know, the writing that I didn't tell you about," I joke, smirking at them in a friendly manner. I receive three sets of glares at my joke, all frightening. I suppress a shiver. "It said something like, 'Go die, demon.' or something. I don't really remember that well. Nose says that it was blood, too. Who's the demon now, bitches?!" I exclaim sassily. 

'#sassmaster,' 

**"I can't even, kit,"** Kurama chokes out, laughing hysterically. 

I love seeing their facial expressions. After going so long on Sensory alone, seeing with my eyes is a relief. 

"Naru," Kakashi warns. "No cursing in front of the children," he titters scoldingly, however, I can see the true disapproval there, 'Stop giving away information.'

"I am not a child," Sasuke immediately denies. 

His eyebrows scrunch together cutely, his lips forming as almost-pout. I try to resist the temptation of teasing the not-so-emotionless Uchiha.

"Yes, you are, Sasu-chan," I grin. Sasuke's cheeks pinken in indignation. 

'Or maybe,' 

**"Kit, don't go there,"** Kurama scolds on impulse. He knows that I can't entertain those types of thoughts. 

'Yeah, I know. Thanks, Kura-chan.' 

**"No problem, kit,"** he mutters. 

I can tell that he's getting tired of monitoring my thoughts. It's really helpful for me, though. Besides, it isn’t like he has anything better to do, really.

"Why are we suddenly children?" Sakura asks. "Naruto's our age and you're acting like he's way older and stuff," she mutters darkly. 

It's obvious by the way that her brow is twitching that Kakashi's comment about them being children irritated her beyond belief. It's a funny expression, I must admit.

"No I'm not," I say. I raise my eyebrows at her and barely catch Sasuke's smug smirk. 

'What's he so smug about?' 

**"I don't know, kit. Maybe that he knows something that she doesn't or something like that,"** Kurama replies, bored. 

'I don't know. Sasuke's not usually that petty. At least not with girls,' 

**"Maybe the pinkette's getting on his nerves lately. Can't say I'd be surprised or anything,"** Kurama chuckles. 

'Hey! She's been getting better!' I protest. 

**"I will admit that part,"** he concedes. 

"What do you mean?" Sakura asks, tilting her head to the side. 

Her hair moves to the side as she tilts her head, cascading in a slightly tangled wave. I feel like I'm picking up every detail of what I'm seeing now that I can actually see. I can't see why I never appreciated sight before.

"Naruto is a year older than us," Sasuke states. 

That smug smile is still there, full force. Sakura gives Sasuke an almost knowing look, and his cheeks pinken a bit. And now I'm totally left in the dark. Sakura knows something about Sasuke's smug grin. Then I remember that I have to interrogate her about what she and Sasuke were talking about at the gate. I'll need to kidnap her quickly.

"Huh?" Sakura mutters in shock. "Why were you in our class then?" she asks.

"There was a mix-up in the paperwork," I answer mechanically. I almost flinch at the obvious lie, but that would just make it worse. 

"Paperwork?" Sakura echoes. Great, she doesn't sound convinced either. Sasuke's brows furrow for an instant.

"Why did that shinobi call you Kitsune-sama?" Sasuke quickly intervenes before Sakura can question me further. I feel my eyes widen and the blood drain from my face. 

'Well, shit,' 

**"Now you know that they heard,"** Kurama offers. 

'Yeah, now I know what they heard,' 

**“You’re definitely screwed!”** Kurama laughs.

Sasuke may have saved me from Sakura, but as the saying goes, out of the frying pan, into the flame. 

"Who even is Kitsune-sama? I've never heard of him," Sakura asks. 

Kakashi gives them both a hard look. Sakura obviously lied about that one. Just before we left, she heard the code name. They're working together to try to get me to admit that I'm the commander of the ANBU. Well, that's not going to happen. At least not right now.

"Kitsune-sama is the commander of the ANBU," Sasuke states. I carefully will myself to be calm. Kakashi is glaring openly at Sasuke. "Thank Kakashi for that information," Sasuke says bravely. 

I carefully control myself. I glance at Kakashi curiously. He ratted me out. For what reason, I do not know. They would have found out eventually who Kitsune-sama is within the ANBU, but I was right in thinking that it hadn't been overly obvious in the conversation with Hokage-sama the other day.

"I don't know why that shinobi called me Kitsune-sama," I state clearly. 

I narrow my eyes slightly at the genin. It doesn't matter what they know or how much evidence they have. Admitting to it is something that I simply cannot do. Hokage-sama would murder me. Besides, this is probably some glorified test to groom me into a better commander.

"I've met him when he was in his uniform before, just because I’m always around jii-san’s office and out pulling pranks, but honestly, I've never seen the guy with his mask off. He's secretive," I explain. 

By Sasuke and Sakura's expressions, I can easily tell that they don't believe me. 

"I'm honestly not sure why he would mistake me for someone so powerful. I mean, I'm only a genin," I say thoughtfully. "A formerly blind genin, at that!" I add with a chuckle.

"What about, 'Stronger than you think'?" Sasuke counters. 

Kakashi shoots me a glance. I realize now. Because of our lack of communication, we've given the genin too much information. I can't keep my cover. Guess I failed. Whoopsie. Sakura glances at Sasuke and then back to me. I'll be damned if I admit this mistake though. It's not even my fault, not fully.

‘Time to turn up the dramatics and act like a toddler, because I’m kinda pissed and feel like throwing a fit,’

"What do you have to say to that?" Sakura asks. 

She sounds strangely timid. Her eyes glimmer with fear. She's afraid that the person that she cares about isn't who she thinks he is. I won't be able to get through this situation with my friendships intact. I hold in a sigh. 

'The mission comes first. Sasuke is my first priority. Deal with the fallout when we aren’t in potentially mortal peril,' I tell myself. 

I consider my options carefully. I could continue to lie. It won't be fully successful, and therefore would make them mistrustful with me. They would feel uneasy turning their backs to me in a fight, which could lead to the failure of the mission. Not only that, but having Sasuke not trust me would make my job a hell of a lot harder. 

I could come clean. It would ruin my mission and my relationship with my team. I can't lie or tell the truth. As they say, lies will only lead to more lies. And now, I can't even do that much. 

Or, I could ignore it. My relations with them would sour, but it would be better if the bonds were bent rather than broken. Kakashi definitely won't like this. Despite that, it's the most logical option.

‘If Danzo ever learns that I failed a mission this important, well, you can basically sign my execution notice,’

"Kakashi, would you like me to try to locate our enemies?" I ask, turning to him abruptly. 

Kakashi looks surprised for a second before a look of understanding flashes in his eye. He knows just as well as I do that this is the only way out for me. His chakra floods with something sour. Regret. Yes, it would be best if Kakashi pretends that he knows nothing. At least then, the genin will still trust him.

"Yes, that would be helpful," he answers.

"Hey!" Sakura protests as Sasuke's face contorts in anger. I immediately close my eyes and concentrate my Sensory, expanding my range.

"This isn't fair," Sasuke protests. "You can't just ignore what you don't want to hear. You were blind, not deaf," he mutters.

"He could've said what you wanted to hear. That would've made things bad between you three. He could've said what you didn't want to hear. That also would've made things bad between you three. He took the easy way out. Don't misdiagnose that as cowardice," Kakashi explains. 

Sasuke grumbles under his breath about stupid shinobi as I locate the chakra of the demon brothers.

I focus intently on them, tuning out whatever else might've been said. Those two are with three others. I focus my Sensory further, willing one of my clan jutsus to activate. Kikei no gihō ni naru. Become as Apparition Technique. Suddenly, the world I know to be around me disappears. I am suddenly launched towards the area my Sensory is focused on in a form that none can see.

"Like I was saying, he's strong," Meizu was saying. "If he wasn't holding back like those guys told us he would be, I'm sure that we'd've been dead," he states.

"Do you think him my equal?" the largest man at the table asks.

"Probably," Gozu admits with a tinge of fear in his voice. 

It's odd to see the weird little chuunin with my own eyes. The big one, though, he worries me. His chakra levels betray a kage level power. I'm definitely the only one who can face him. I determine one of the remaining shinobi to be Momochi Zabuza, Demon of the Mist. I'm fairly sure that I've read about his masked companion in the bingo book before, but the details escape me.

"He's here," the big guy states. 

"What do you mean?" Zabuza asks.

"The rumors are correct," he rumbles. "Our Kitsune-sama is a powerful sensor-nin. I can just barely pick up hints of his chakra," he chuckles. "How old would you boys say the commander is, hm?" he asks Meizu and Gozu.

"Anywhere from thirteen to fifteen," Meizu says.

"Oh, he's young, isn't he?" the large man muses. Irritated, I form the number 14 with my chakra. I see the man's eyebrows raise. Amusement crosses his face. "Fourteen, eh, Kitsune-sama?" he asks. I don't bother to answer.

"What do you mean, Richtin?" Zabuza asks. 

"He formed the number 14 with his chakra, Zabuza. Quite impressive chakra control," Richtin replies. 

'Damn straight.' I think to myself. 

"The fact that you revealed that much, Kitsune, means that you are in fact a child who is quite rash and irresponsible. And here I was looking forward to our battle. What a shame. At least I’ll fulfill my duty by killing that man’s offspring," he continues, addressing me now. I feel my anger spark, but I stay eerily silent, not giving him the gratification of a reaction. Richtin chuckles. 

He opens his amber eyes, looking directly at me though I know that he can't actually see me. He's a sensor-nin, that much is obvious. His skin is dark and his hair is in dreadlocks. His chakra signature is completely different from the other four. The demon brothers and Zabuza are all from Kiri. I can't tell where Zabuza's companion is from. 

Richtin, however, is quite obviously from Kumogakure no Sato. He was once a ninja from the town that hated my parents with a passion. I'll need to be very careful to ensure that he doesn't learn of who I am. I allow myself back into my own body, widening my Sensory range to look for any members of the Akatsuki. 

I quickly locate several members of the infamous missing-nin group. Itachi and Kisame. It's good that they're here. They aren't likely to intervene. It would be great if they were the only ones here. But no, it's just my luck that half of the Akatsuki would be here. Deidara, Sasori, and that new recruit that Itachi mentioned, Tobi. I bring in my range to ignore all of my enemies because I don't want to know what they do in their free time and open my eyes.

"You done?" Sasuke asks harshly.

"Reporting," I reply, turning away from the gorgeous raven. "Five hostiles working for a business tycoon by the name of Gato. They are the demon brothers Meizu and Gozu, the demon of the mist, Momochi Zabuza, um," I pause, willing myself to remember his companion. Just then, the information comes to the forefront of my mind. "the adopted daughter of Momochi Zabuza, Momochi Haku, and a man seemingly from Kumogakure no Sato by the name of Richtin," I state. 

"There are five members of the Akatsuki nearby," At that, Sasuke tenses up. "Uchiha Itachi," I say. Sasuke swallows thickly. "Hoshigaki Kisame," I state, glancing to Kakashi. He looks completely at ease, like I'm not telling him that we have a million and one enemies. "Deidara, Sasori, and Tobi," I conclude.

"How likely is it that the Akatsuki will intervene?" Kakashi asks.

"Fairly likely due to the presence of Deidara, Sasori, and Tobi, though Itachi may be able to keep them in line," I state.

"What do you mean, keep them in line?" Sasuke asks sharply. He has a hard look on his face and a demanding tone. I want to answer him, but I know that I can't.

"That information is above your clearance level, genin," I state, narrowing my eyes into a harsh glare. Sasuke flinches, drawing back slightly.

"Does that mean that you aren't a genin?" he asks bravely. I just chuckle, unable to will myself to lie to him again.

"When will our enemies be ready to strike?" Kakashi asks quickly.

"I don't know," I sigh. "That Richtin guy seems pretty eager for a fight, though. I'd say probably a week. He seems particularly interested in killing me," I estimate.

"A week?" Sakura asks. I nod in response.

"Why won't you answer my questions?" Sasuke blurts out.

"Because I don't want to," I pout.

"You know that this is important to me and you're still lying! I can't stand it!" Sasuke exclaims. "I'm getting some air," he huffs, standing up and storming out of the room and down the stairs. I widen my Sensory range to keep an eye on him as Sakura rushes after him.

"That probably wasn't the best idea," Kakashi sighs. "It isn't the end of the world if they know that you're Kitsune, you know. Hokage-sama won’t necessarily like it, but at least things would still flow smoothly with the team," he points out, leaving as well.

"Okay, great," I huff to myself. "It looks like everyone's pissed at me and forgot that I just got my sight back. Whatever," I mutter grouchily. 

I run a hand through my hair before realising that I don't know what I look like. I jump to my feet, my jaw dropping, and rush through the door to the room that my Sensory identified as a bathroom.

I turn to the mirror and examine myself. I have blond hair with red streaks. It's spiky in the back and the hair by my ears is getting a bit long, making me resemble my father. My eyes are almond-shaped, one blue and the other violet like my mother's. I have a prominent jaw and high cheek bones. My face is fairly angular. 

I slip out of my shirt to get a glimpse at my scars. Tears prick my eyes, making them gleam, as the words carved into my skin come into view. I choke back a sob. I may have gotten my sight back, but not everything will be butterflies and rainbows. 

I slide my shirt back on and wipe my eyes roughly. I exit the bathroom and find the stairs. I follow the scent of food into the dining room.

"Oh! You're awake!" a young woman exclaims in surprise.

"Um, yeah, I guess that I am," I chuckle. She has long, brown hair and warm, amber eyes.

"Sorry, my name is Tsunami. I'm Tazuna's daughter," she says quickly, reaching out a hand for me to shake. I take her hand and shake it.

"I'm Naruto, ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you," I reply. She smiles at me.

"That's my son, Inari," she says, withdrawing her hand and gesturing to the young boy seated glumly at the table. 

I wave at him, smiling. He glares back at me. My grin falters a bit, but I brush off his bad attitude. 

"Ah, he's in a bad mood," Tsunami chuckles awkwardly. "I was relieved to hear that you're immune to poison," she sighs.

"Oh, yeah, thanks for your concern," I say. 

"Why do you try so hard?" Inari pipes up, his voice dark.

"What?" I ask, slightly confused.

"You're no hero! Heroes don't exist! You'll only be killed by Gato and his men!" Inari exclaims, his eyes brimming with tears. I feel my own eyes widen and my jaw drop.

"Inari!" Tsunami scolds. Inari runs out of the room, a hand over his face. "I'm so sorry about him," Tsunami sighs. I recover myself, snapping my jaw closed and stare blankly at her.

"It's fine. I think I should probably apologize, though," I chuckle slightly.

"You don't have to do that," Tsunami says. "He's a troubled boy," she mutters, a sad look in her eyes.

"I upset him," I counter. "And besides, my entire team is ignoring me right now, so I don't have anything better to do," I chirp, faking a smile. 

Tsunami gives me a sympathetic look. I wink at her and follow Inari. I track his miniscule chakra to a pier nearby. He sits at the end of it, his legs dangling over the water.

"Why are you here?" he sniffs. I chuckle a bit.

"I came to apologize. I upset you," I reply.

"But I'm the one who yelled at you!" he protests, turning his tear-stained face my way.

"Oh, I get yelled at all the time," I laugh. "You aren't the first to yell at me even this morning," I assure. His face falls. "Can I ask you a question, Inari?" I ask, sitting next to the small boy.

"What?" he snaps. I withhold another chuckle.

"Why do you think that heroes don't exist?" I ask softly. Inari looks at me, wide-eyed.

"My father was the hero of the village, but even he couldn't stop Gato," Inari explains, teary-eyed. 

I widen my Sensory again, scanning the entire Land of Waves for a chakra signature that could possibly be the boy's father. No one.

"I see," I state in a small voice. "Gato killed him, then?" I ask, hoping that my question wasn't too insensitive.

"How'd you know?" Inari asks in a sarcastic tone.

"I searched for a chakra signature that could possibly belong to your father, but there was nothing," I explain. Inari's eyes widen. He nods to himself.

"Bad people always win," he mutters. I quirk an eyebrow at the boy.

"Then I guess I'm evil," I counter. Inari gives me a skeptical look. "I always win. My village hates me," I say, looking out at the water. "They call me a demon and beat me," I state, my hand rising involuntarily to the scar that reads fox. "But they don't know of all the things I've done to protect them. I exist to keep them safe. It was the reason for my birth," I explain, glancing back at Inari. 

"I've never heard anyone call me a hero," I say, standing up. I reach my hands to the neck of my shirt. "But I bear the battle scars from protecting them, even when it was their knives in my back," I strip from my shirt slowly. I turn so that Inari can see my chest full-on. His eyes widen and a horrified gasp leaves his lips. "It was someone in my village who did this to me, and more," I explain. "Can you guess how he was punished for doing this to a four-year-old boy?" I ask. Inari shakes his head. "He wasn't," Inari's eyes meet mine. He looked confused. "I kept the man's identity a secret," I told him.

"Why?" Inari chokes out. 

"Because I exist to protect and bring honor to my people, even if they want me mangled and dead," I say emotionlessly. "I've never been called a hero, so if I have to be a villain to help you and your people, I'm more than willing. I've been the villain my entire life, just to bring peace to my people, Inari. I'm fine with being the villain again," I say softly. "Just promise me that when another hero comes along, you'll believe in them, and in yourself," I request.

"Yeah!" Inari says, nodding his head determinedly. 

"You'll go far, Inari," I smile. Inari smiles back. "Let's get you back home, huh?" I ask playfully. Inari leaps to his feet and follows me as we begin the trek back to his house. 

"I think that you are a hero," he murmurs to me. 

I find myself smiling at the small comment.

‘You’d be one of the first, kid,’

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	19. The Land of Waves (3)

**Chapter 19 - The Land of Waves (3)**

**Editor’s Note: We are approaching the conclusion of this arc! I’ve been editing for days. My eyes hurt. I want to go to bed. But I promised this on the 15th and I will deliver! Come give me some belated encouragement on my social media!**

**Chapter 19**

**One Week Later - Naruto's P.O.V.**

Luckily, I've managed to avoid anything incriminating for the past week. Kakashi is still pretending to be mad at me, but he actually started training the genin. Too bad for me, because he put me on babysitting duty. Watch the genin train, he said. It'll be fun, he said. And thus, my entire life has been a goddamn fucking lie. 

My days begin with me waking up to Sasuke's beautiful face, and eyes, which are open. Then the first thing out of his mouth is a question, which I carefully flat-out ignore. And from that moment on, the genin pester me with questions. They'd be battling my clones on a tree and suddenly belt out something about me being Kitsune-sama, and it always starts with one of those dreaded question words. So, yeah. Fuck them, life, and most definitely Kakashi. 

I sigh for the millionth time today as I hear the millionth question of today, and we're still on hour one! Inari tugs on my sleeve, pulling me into a run to get to the bridge faster. Due to some awesome super-spy work (AKA, using my Sensory) we've discovered that Gato's hired goons are going to make a move today. 

I also had the pleasure of telling a room full of Sasuke that Itachi's planning on involving himself, the good-for-nothing bastard. Sasuke flipped his shit, and the table. And it's funny, because I'm the one who had to apologize to Tsunami-san for it.

"Stop sighing, Naruto," Kakashi orders me, joining Inari and I on the bridge at his slow-paced stroll.

"Die in fire, you antagonizing shit," I retort emotionlessly. 

The insult doesn't have any fire in it, but that doesn't stop me from insulting him. It's simply the way I function. Insulting people gives me a sense of normalcy, which I definitely need right now with the genin right on the edge of something big.

"Stop cursing, Naruto. There’s a child present!" Sakura scolds. 

I feel my eyes widen in barely contained frustration. I feel like screaming, but that would draw too much attention to myself. Being sassy as fuck draws less. I purse my lips and roll my eyes at her.

"Of course, your majesty," I taunt, making a face at Sakura and sticking out my tongue like the ever-responsible, ever-emotionless ANBU commander that I am.

"Shut up, you baka!" she yells in rage. 

She clenches her hand into a fist, waving it carelessly in the air mere inches from my face. My eyes widen and I carefully jerk out of reach like the hounds of hell are chasing me.

"Maa, maa, Sakura. Why don't we all just calm down?" Kakashi intervenes, shooting me a pleading gaze. 

I immediately raise my hand, the one unoccupied with Inari's, and flip him off. Tsunami chuckles while Tazuna just stares on. That Kaka-baka thinks he can order me around? Well, he's got another thing coming. I'll act however I damn well please, thank you very fucking much. That mutt is putting way too much faith in my generosity.

"What do you know, you stupid sensei?!" Sakura shouts. 

And finally, one of the genin agree with me about something instead of constantly doubting everything I say and do! Because that shit isn't really fucking annoying or anything... 

"Okay, I guess that approach won't work after all," Kakashi sighs. 

He pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration and grumbles under his breath about a raging headache. I wonder who could've caused that.

"Just be quiet, Sakura," Sasuke sighs. "We won't get anywhere like that," he states. 

His words draw my gaze, and I struggle to find my breath again. It's been a week since I've gotten my sight back, but I still feel like a lovestruck schoolgirl. When my eyes meet his, it's like everything else falls away. I don't think that Sasuke has yet realized how big of an advantage he has over me. All he has to do is look me in the eyes and ask nicely; I'd tell him anything he wanted. Such a weakness is very unbefitting the goddamn commander of the fucking ANBU of stupid-ass Konoha.

‘Why, oh why, am I the commander again?’

"Be quiet while I work, alright?" Tazuna asks. 

He's been just as frustrated as I have over the past week, which is amusing to me since we're nothing alike. The genin are constantly talking, well, mostly Sakura rather than Sasuke. He and Kakashi are constantly complaining about headaches and the like. I don't care all that much, given that I simply ignore them and stick with Inari. Since our little chat, Inari's been stuck to me like glue, not that I have a problem with it. Inari gives me an excuse to avoid the never-ending questions. Not that I need an excuse because I'm fucking fabulous.

"We will," Kakashi assures, giving all of us a hard, demanding look. 

I see Sasuke and Sakura nod and I stick out my tongue in a reply of my own. Kakashi gives me a look that says, "really, brat?" but I just ignore it. He made me babysit. He deserves to be ignored.

We all look around at the deserted bridge. Tools are scattered around haphazardly, They've been left anywhere and everywhere, their owners abandoning them in haste. All of the workers have abandoned the bridge and the hope it offers the Land of the Waves in fear of Gato. Tazuna sighs at the desolate workplace and picks up his hammer, beginning to work even without his team.

"Grandpa," Inari whispers. 

Inari says that his grandfather was once a proud man who did good things for his people, but his people have abandoned him now out of fear. Inari lets go of my hand and goes up to Tazuna, asking if there's anything that he can do to help. Tazuna puts Inari right to work, and Inari doesn't seem to mind it. Tsunami and Sakura start talking about cooking again, and Sasuke has already started working on his taijutsu again with Kakashi at the edge of the bridge.

I sit down on the bridge in my boredom. I decide to widen my Sensory range to observe Gato's goons. From what I can tell, they're simply sitting around, as if waiting for something to happen. I take a headcount of them, looking specifically for Richtin. Luckily, I locate the mongrel, but my blood runs cold the second that I realize that the goons are missing a good forty members. I immediately open my Sensory in the town, easily pinpointing the location of the missing forty members.

"Kakashi!" I shout, jumping to my feet. 

Kakashi immediately looks over to me, looking worried. I hear Tazuna drop his hammer in surprise. Sasuke freezes and Tsunami and Sakura fall silent. 

"Gato's men are stirring up trouble in the town!" I tell him.

"Can you handle it?" Kakashi asks. 

His silver eye bores into mine. Confidence surges through me. I am the commander of the ANBU. Kakashi shouldn't even be asking that question. He knows just how strong I am. 

"Yeah," I answer confidently with a nod.

"Naruto, you think that you can handle them?" Sakura asks worriedly. 

I don't bother to answer her question. The redundancy would make my head hurt. I know that I'll be able to handle some thugs who aren't even ninja. 

I take off running at top speed back towards the town. I can sense Itachi and his comrades on the move as well. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. For now, Kakashi and the genin will have to protect Tazuna and his family. In less than a minute, I'm back in the town, and my fist connects with the first of Gato's men. I shake out my hand as the man collapses to the ground before drawing my bo staff with a surge of chakra. 

I run to take out the next of them, and before I know it, they're on the ground at my feet. I look up sharply. That wasn't my handy work. They aren't unconscious, per se, mostly just dazed and drooling. Both signs of genjutsu. Fuck.

"Itachi," I say, my voice unforgiving. “It’s been awhile,”

The Uchiha prodigy sits on top of a building, merely lounging there looking unimpressed with his Mangekyou Sharingan eyes blazing like blood. I can sense the other Akatsuki members nearby, taking care of the other thugs without a problem and giving us clearance to speak however we please.

"Taichou," he greets warmly, a hand raising lazily in the air.

"Why are you involving yourself and risking your cover?" I demand. Always straight to the point, especially when there are potential enemies near.

"My cover's been blown for awhile now," he laughs. 

I feel my eyes widen and a raise an eyebrow, demanding an explanation. “Seriously, Itachi?”

"I'm really no good at undercover work, Naru. I don’t know why Hokage-sama put me of all people on this job. Must be some machination that I can’t fully comprehend," Itachi smiles at me. 

I glare at him and his cocky attitude. Damn Uchihas. 

"Look, we have a lot to talk about, but first you need to fulfill your mission. My comrades will give you some assistance if we deem it necessary," Itachi explains with a shrug. "We must speak with Kitsune-sama once you're finished," he says discreetly.

"I understand," I nod. I widen my Sensory again to check on the genin. "Damn. This was definitely a trap," I mutter. 

While I was here, it appears as though the missing-nin have made their move. Tazuna and his family are hanging back, but they're still at risk. Besides that, Sasuke's in danger, and that is absolutely unacceptable.

"Go," Itachi tells me. I nod once more. 

I don't bother to thank Itachi. I don't waste time running and instead use a Hiraishin seal to teleport. 

I grit my teeth as I take in the scene. Kakashi is losing to Richtin while trying to distract Zabuza, Sasuke is in a speed battle with Haku, and Sakura is barely holding her own against the Demon Brothers. I don't bother calling out to Kakashi. I dive into the fray, knocking the mountainous form of Richtin back a step. 

I don't hesitate to attack. I draw my sword, charging without a care. I don't look back, but I do use my Sensory to get a feel for Sasuke's injuries as I charge at the enemy. I withhold a relieved sigh as I discover that Sasuke only has a few minor cuts and some bruises. As long as he doesn't run out of energy, he'll be fine.

My speed propels me faster and faster, and Richtin matches me blow for blow. I grit my teeth in frustration. My hands quickly form a hand seal, my mind chanting Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu with ease. Clones of myself attack Richtin as well. 

I charge again, unrelenting in my attacks. I use the clones as a distraction to throw him off, allowing me to land several blows as he destroys the clones. My speed is superior to his, that much is obvious. I use my Hiraishin to get behind him and land another strike. As the blow lands, I realize my error. He's powerful. 

I leap back, gaping at the hole in the bridge that was the place that I stood not even a second ago. I disappear into the trees before the dust clears. I hear Sasuke call my name, but I pay it no mind. He needs to learn how to focus on his own battle. I can't stay in the trees long. Richtin will simply attack the others, but I need a plan. 

I can own him on taijutsu, but he's nearly as fast as I am and he's strong. He has me beaten in ninjutsu, and I have no idea where he's at with genjutsu. My only option is to get close enough to seal his chakra and beat him in taijutsu alone. His strength will be a problem, but as long as I'm fast enough to dodge, I can still win. 

I use another Hiraishin to appear behind him once more. He spins to intercept me. I draw my staff and fuse it with a kunai simultaneously, stabbing it through the hand he attempts to use to strike me. I run forward using the staff as leverage. My dojutsu mimic activates of its own accord. 

‘Oh the joys of being an Uzumaki,’ 

Seals swirl into existence underneath the mountainous man. Richtin tries to jerk away from me, but I jerk the staff out of his hand and lodge it into his shoulder, keeping a hand on it to keep him in place as I use the other to place the seal. It lands on his chest, but it'll get the job done. I apply another seal to contradict the first and use the Hiraishin to escape with my staff once more. Richtin howls in pain and goes for me once more.

I meet him in the middle and block his enraged strike. I feel my heart beat faster and faster. Am I... afraid? I meet him blow for blow and manage a counterattack. I can already tell that playing fair isn't going to work in this fight. This man is strong, but he isn't stronger than me. 

I ram my hand against the wound in his shoulder, sending him screeching. His fury blinds him, and the next thing I know, I've been sent skidding backwards. My back hits the rail, but Richtin is already there, preventing my escape. In less than a second, his hand is clasped around my throat and I've been lifted into the air. I grab at his hand and kick him, but he doesn't budge.

Suddenly, Richtin is gone, and my feet hit the ground hard, sending me to my knees harshly. I recognize the chakra forms of Deidara and Tobi before me. I sense Itachi easily block one of Haku's attacks, shattering whatever bloodline that she'd trapped Sasuke in with ease as well. Kisame's sword blocks Zabuza's, allowing time for Kakashi to get out of harm's way. Sasori's puppets carefully hold the weapons of the Demon Brothers in place, and he stands protectively in front of Sakura.

Richtin starts laughing, hard. All we hear for nearly a minute is Richtin laughing and me coughing and gasping. Then, he says, "So another Sharingan user has shown up? I'd love to rip those pretty little eyes out of your heads! As soon as I kill the son of my most hated enemy, of course!" he laughs. That's when my vision goes red.

**Third Person P.O.V.**

Itachi saw it before it happened. 

Maybe it was because of his Mangekyou Sharingan, or maybe it was because of his intuition and knowledge about Naruto. He saw the whisker marks on Naruto's cheeks become darker and thicker. He watched as the boy's eyes, wide with shock, bleed red in color. He watches Naruto's fingernails and teeth lengthen, becoming claws and fangs of mass destruction, his hair become unruly, and the chakra tail form. 

Itachi saw it before it happened, and so did the others. Naruto's vision went red, but all they saw was a demon coming to life inside of their dear friend and comrade.

They felt the surge in chakra as Naruto let loose his chakra chains. In slow motion, Itachi shoved Haku at Zabuza and tackled Sasuke, Zabuza takes the hint and drops with Haku, Kisame grabs Deidara and Tobi and Shunshins away from the blow, Kakashi jumps out of the way, and Sasori shields Sakura with his puppets. 

The Demon Brothers never even saw their demise coming. It was so sudden, that they didn't even have time to scream as Naruto's chakra chains ripped them to pieces. No one sees Naruto's mad dash forward, but they hear it as Naruto rips Richtin's heart from his chest and snaps his neck. There's the sound of his body being drug, and what seems like an eternity later, the sound of the water splashing far below. 

It's only after the man is dead that Naruto snaps out of his little trance and returns to normal. The demonic chakra fades and all that's left is a young boy, barely a teenager, swaying slightly on his feet with a pale face and horrified eyes staring at his own blood soaked hands.

Everyone picks themselves off the ground, Zabuza and Haku quickly putting their hands in the air in a sign of surrender. One of Naruto's blood-soaked hands is pressed to his lips. He's pale and shaking. His entire body trembles and he stares blindly at his feet. He had never killed someone so mercilessly before. Everyone looks a mixture of shocked and scared, even Itachi and Kakashi, who've seen him kill before.

"I - I'm sorry." he stutters. Tears blur his vision, but he holds them back. 

No one says anything for a minute, but Itachi and Kakashi set to cleaning up Naruto's mess immediately. Sasuke doesn't look anywhere near the victims. Sakura moves over to him cautiously.

"Are you alright?" Sakura asks Sasuke. 

It's easy to tell that Naruto's in shock, and it's even easier to tell why Sasuke isn't looking anywhere near him.

"I don't know," Sasuke replies shakily. "I wasn't expecting that," he confesses.

"I don't think that he was expecting that either," Sakura says, looking pointedly at Naruto. 

Sasuke looks at the boy again as well. Naruto is pale and visibly shaken up. Sasuke's gaze softens at the sight of the older boy so bothered by what he did. The genin look back over at Kakashi, just to see him speaking quietly with the ninja who saved them. 

"So, that one's your brother?" Sakura asks, looking sharply at Itachi.

"Yeah, that's Itachi," Sasuke sighs, looking conflicted.

"What's going on in that head of yours, Sasuke?" Sakura asks.

"Honestly, I'm not sure what to think," Sasuke mutters. "He's my brother, so I love him of course, but my memories say that he murdered our family," he says quietly. "I'm just not sure what to think," he sighs.

"I can understand that." Sakura hums. "Do you think that Naruto will be okay?" she asks.

"Ask him yourself," Sasuke huffs, crossing his arms.

"Oh, come on!" Sakura protests. "Weren't you looking for an excuse to go talk to your crush?" she teases.

"Sakura!" Sasuke scolds, his eyes widening as he glances around. Kisame is watching the two of them with an amused look on his face and nudges Itachi, who glances over as well. "Great, look what you did!" Sasuke whines, slapping both hands over his face to conceal his blush.

Itachi watches his younger brother interact with the pinkette. His first thought is that the two are dating, but the girl, Sakura, he'd learned, was giving him a respectable, friendly distance. She was obviously teasing him about something, and if her knowing glances at their third teammate were any indication, it was something about Naruto. Naruto was staring at his feet, unaware of the things happening around him.

"When's the last time he killed?" Itachi asks Kakashi. 

If this was having such an effect on him, it must've been awhile since he's last taken a life. His work as a genin must be throwing him off.

"I'm not sure," Kakashi confesses. "None of us really know how many missions he takes on. Even so, I don't think it's about the act of killing in itself," Kakashi states. He has his Sharingan exposed, the scarlet eye somehow fitting with his face quite nicely.

"Once you've hit the first hundred, it loses it's novelty," Sasori says darkly, throwing off his puppets to reveal his own undead body.

"Sasori!" Deidara whisper-scolds. 

Sasori grunts and turns away. It didn't matter whether he was right or not. You had to be a certain type of person to take killing so lightly. To call it a novelty was something else entirely. After killing his own parents, he'd grown rather unattached. Only a heartless man could say something like that, even if it's true. When Sasori killed his parents, he'd willingly ripped out his own heart, so to speak.

"What do you mean, Kakashi?" Itachi asks.

"Naruto wasn't in control," Kakashi reminds Itachi. "He's never been able to train with Kurama's chakra, but that was a full take-over. That was the demon, not Naruto. I think that's why he's so shaken up. He had no control," he explains. "Plus, he killed someone in front of Sasuke, and the genin were already pestering him with questions before this because of me. He's probably worried," Kakashi muses.

"What's going on between him and Sasuke, though?" Itachi asks.

"What do you mean?" Kakashi replies.

"The girl, Sakura, seemed to be teasing him about something, and she was looking at Naru," Itachi answers.

"Ah, that," Kakashi chuckles. "Nothing, sadly," he mutters in response.

"What do you mean sadly?" Itachi asks darkly.

"Slip of the tongue!" Kakashi answers quickly. 

Itachi fixes him with a glare, but Kakashi doesn't back down from his blatant lie. In the silence, one could hear a pin drop. They all jolt in surprise at the sound of a sharp footstep. Naruto stomps over to Itachi, his Kitsune mask materializing over his face before he's even made it halfway. He holds out his hand expectantly.

"Wha?" Itachi mutters, absolutely flabbergasted at his taichou. 

Had he forgotten where he was? Quite unlikely. Kakashi had said that the genin were already guessing his true identity. Was this just his way of answering their questions?

"Your report, Weasel?" he demands, his hand still outstretched. Something in his shoulders suggests relaxation or maybe even a sense of dread. Probably both.

"I knew it!" the genin shout victoriously. 

Itachi barely hears the sigh that escapes Naruto's lips. Itachi looks back and forth between his two little brothers in confusion. It must be true that Sasuke and Sakura had figured out that Naruto was actually Kitsune-sama, but why would Naruto simply admit to it? Either they must have been pestering him with questions or he wants them involved in the conversations to come. Possibly both.

"Your report?" Naruto, er, Kitsune-sama, demands again. 

Kakashi watches the scene with barely contained laughter. Not having your report when Kitsune-sama asks for it is practically a death sentence, despite the fact that their beloved taichou can't turn in his own reports on time for the life of him. He's likely attempting to instill good habits in his subordinates, even if he himself doesn't have such qualities.

"Uh, it'll be written up promptly," Itachi stutters. 

The fear that Naruto can instill in his subordinates is extremely terrifying at times, especially given that he's so young.

"It had better be," Kitsune-sama growls. 

Itachi shudders in fear of that voice. That voice was a reminder of his infamous glare, you know, the one that made Uchiha Fugaku tremble in his boots when little Naru-chan was four years old. Kisame edges off toward the genin to escape Kitsune's wrath, and Deidara and Sasori literally take off running, saying something about an errand. Lies are terrible if you're terrified.

"Hey there!" Kisame greets the genin. He raises his non-sword hand in a gentle, friendly wave. Sasuke sighs.

"Hi!" Sakura chirps. 

Sakura looks kind of disgruntled, but she hides it excellently behind an adorable small smile. Sasuke sighs again.

"So, you're Sasuke, right?" Kisame asks, directing the question at the ever-sighing raven.

"Hn," he utters noncommittally.

"Um, we were kind of talking, sir," Sakura interrupts with a poisonous honey-dripped smile. 

The glance Sasuke shoots at her might be classified as grateful, but who knows?

"Ah, really?" Kisame says, perking up slightly. "What were you guys talking about?" he asks pleasantly, a tinge of curiosity in his voice.

"I'm surrounded by idiots," Sasuke grunts, pinching the bridge of his nose and tilting his head back, unaware of the near-perverted staring from one Uzumaki Naruto. 

Unaware as well when Itachi smacks Naruto in the back of the head, but the action doesn't stop Naruto's drooling—er, observing, no that doesn't sound right either. Oh, who is he kidding, he's a perverted little shit, isn't he? God, staring at Sasuke like that with those thoughts in his head! Jesus! Is he really fourteen? Well, some of those daydreams are rather inexperienced and sloppy, but let's not talk about that.

"Oh come on! You don't mean that, do you?" Kisame pouts. 

Sasuke blanches, his cheeks pinkening the slightest bit. At that moment, Kisame becomes aware of two sets of glares locked on him. It's obvious that Naruto's fantasies have been ruined for the moment. What a poor horny teenager. At least Itachi can breathe easy knowing the his baby brother's innocence is safe for the moment. 

Kisame already knows the feel of Itachi's glare on his back, but the other one is relatively new. Kisame glances behind him just to see his lovely boyfriend openly fuming and the smirking fox masked figure tilting his head in a threatening manner. Shit, he's already angered the little fox child. Fucking hell. 

"I guess that your boyfriend doesn't much appreciate other people teasing you, huh?" Kisame chuckles to Sasuke. 

Sasuke's eyes widen and his entire face turns crimson. At that, Itachi flat-out growls. Or maybe it was Naruto. Or both. Both sounds reasonable. You can't really tell with Kitsune, but Itachi is gritting his teeth like someone just kicked his puppy and his boyfriend is pretending to flirt with his little brother. Oh, wait... 

"I don't have a boyfriend," Sasuke grumbles unconvincingly. 

The crimson coloring his cheeks says otherwise, but if Kisame mentions that, Sasuke might just kill him rather than talk to him. That would be painful.

"Coulda fooled me," Kisame laughs instead, slapping Sasuke on the shoulder. 

Sasuke narrows a glare at Kisame as well. Damn, he angered three dangerous kids in under five minutes. Fucking skill, bro. 

"Kid, I wake up to that glare, and I go to sleep to it too. You aren't gonna phase me," Kisame laughs. 

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at that. Did the shark man realize that he's implying that the first thing he sees when he wakes up in the morning and the last thing he sees when he goes to sleep is Itachi's face? Sasuke pushes aside his suspicious confusion and lets his anger take over again.

"Well, maybe my boyfriend's glare will talk some sense into you," Sasuke growls. 

Kisame gulps at the heavy doses of killing intent he's being subjected to and hesitantly looks behind him. The sight of the bi-colored eyes narrowed at him makes his blood run cold. You know that you're fucked when Naruto glares at you without his mask on. The urge to pee is suddenly prominent for the shark man.

"What about joking can't anyone understand?" Kisame blanches.

"Naruto's rather possessive," Sakura laughs, pushing a few strands of pink hair behind her ear. Her green eyes twinkle with mischief. "But it goes both ways," she teases knowingly.

"Sakura!" Sasuke hisses in embarrassed indignation. 

Kisame creeps back over to the higher ranked ninja, keeping closer to Itachi's point of the triangular type formation. Hanging with the little genin will only get him into trouble.

"Done fooling around with my little brother?" Itachi spits venomously.

"I swear I was just teasing him!" Kisame swears quickly.

"Give me one reason to doubt your intentions, and I don't care if you're Itachi's wife or his little fuck toy, I'll kill you in the most painful way I can dream up," Naruto threatens sharply. Kisame gulps as Itachi suddenly latches onto his arm.

"Hurt him and I swear that you won't get out unscathed," Itachi spits furiously at Naruto.

"Oh please, I can tell that this one won't last long," Naruto scoffs. 

Kakashi flinches at that. Rule number 597, don't judge Itachi. Rule 598, if you judge Itachi for god knows why, run far and fast, otherwise you're fucked. Everyone should learn to live by Kakashi's rules.

"Are you criticizing my relationship?" Itachi asks darkly.

"And if I am?" Naruto replies.

"I don't have any qualms against making you bleed," Itachi threatens.

"I'd bet that you don't even have the balls to kiss your boyfriend in front of others. What does that say about your relationship?" Naruto challenges. 

Itachi quickly tangles his hands in Kisame's hair and yanks him down into a kiss. Kisame's eyes widen, but he knows better than to resist. When Itachi gets dominant, you'd best just let him be. Their lips separate with a pop and Itachi immediately turns to glare at Naruto. 

"What? No tongue?" he teases. 

Itachi flips him off, hiding his suddenly crimson face against Kisame's chest.

Sasuke and Sakura watch as Itachi kisses his boyfriend and proceeds to hide.

"So, it runs in the family then?" Sakura asks.

"Don't," Sasuke replies.

**One Hour Later - Sasuke's P.O.V.**

Now that we're all settled in Naruto and I's room, it's finally quiet. Getting Tazuna and his family back here had been easy once the blonde, Deidara, had shown us where he had told them to hide. It seems that Itachi and his friends had finished off Gato and his men with relative ease before heading out to help us. They'd taken off their Akatsuki robes upon arrival, and I was surprised with how normal my brother seemed without that robe on. 

He and the shark-like man, Kisame, sit side-by-side. For some reason, Naruto sat himself between Sakura and I, which left Kakashi and Tobi sitting next to us and Deidara and Sasori, who are also a couple, sitting across from us with Itachi and Kisame. It's a little disorienting to figure out that nii-san is gay in such an already odd situation. Add in the fact that his boyfriend looks more like a shark than a man, and anyone with less intelligence than Sakura and I would be very confused.

"So, you said that you needed to talk to me about something important, Ita-sensei?" Naruto asks suddenly, breaking the silence. 

'Ita-sensei? What the hell?' I think, biting my lip and looking at Naruto sharply, a questioning look in my eyes.

"'Ita-sensei'?" I ask, voicing my confusion. 

Sakura looks equally confused, and the other members of the Akatsuki seem ready to roll with anything. Naruto could probably call Itachi a butterfly princess and they wouldn't flinch.

"Itachi taught me the basics, Sasuke," Naruto says in reply. I turn toward him again, waiting for an explanation for the odd shortening of my brother's name. "Back then, I was mute," he states. I barely catch his slight flinch, merely a twitch of his right eyebrow, but it still tugs at my heart. "There was some trauma that gave me a phobia of speaking, but I got over it," he explains at Sakura and I's worried looks. "I used sign language back then, and signing Ita-sensei was easier than signing Itachi-sensei," Naruto shrugs, making it sound simple.

"Does that trauma that made you afraid to talk have anything to do with all of your scars?" Sakura asks hesitantly.

"Yes," Naruto replies, his eyes narrowing unseeingly just the tiniest bit. "Most of my scars come from that time," he states, his hands clenching into fists and his shoulders shaking the slightest bit. I want to wrap him up in a hug more than usual as I catch the involuntary reactions.

"I'm so sorry, Naru," Sakura says, taking Naruto's hand in hers. 

I can't find the energy to feel jealous. It's obvious by her loving gaze that Naruto is like a brother to her, nothing more, nothing less. I suppose that our team is becoming more and more like a family as time goes on.

"It's fine, Sakura," Naruto smiles, tilting his head. "It was a decade ago, and I've gotten over it," he explains with a light tone. 

I see Sakura's resigned nod. He's already taken care of himself. We don't need to coddle him now. 

"Itachi?" he asks, turning back to my brother. 

Itachi had dropped his head on Kisame's shoulder while waiting for us to convene. He has a drowsy look in his eyes, which only serves to remind me of how tired I am. I wish that I could lean against Naruto the way that he's leaning against Kisame.

"Yeah," Itachi replies, sitting up. 

A bag that I hadn't noticed before sits in his lap, and briefly I wonder if he used a jutsu to temporarily conceal it from us. I cast away the notion when I remember how exhausted he looks. I had almost forgotten that he helped me fend off Haku. Shattering that blood limit must've taken a lot out of him, and he'd been fighting before that too. 

Once again I'm reminded that my big brother is the amazing prodigy, the unbeatable ANBU, and an S-ranked missing-nin. He truly is amazing, but even the most amazing people need rest sometimes. Naruto taught Sakura and I that much at the very least. Itachi takes out three scrolls from the bag. 

"Which one do you want to know about first?" he asks.

"What does that snake pedophile have to say?" Naruto asks, looking pointedly at the scroll with the symbol of a snake inscribed on it. 

I raise an eyebrow at that and Sakura's look of irritation goes unnoticed by Naruto.

"Honestly, he told me not to read it. For your eyes only, taichou," Itachi says, handing him the scroll. 

Taichou makes sense because Naruto is actually the commander of the ANBU. Naruto needs to take a hint and talk in terms that Sakura and I can understand. Naruto easily pops the seal on the scroll and begins to read it aloud. No one objects despite the fact that it's supposedly for his eyes only. Maybe ears don't count?

"Dearest Kitsune-sama," he says with a grimace. 

He makes a gagging sound before continuing and Itachi purses his lips to hold back laughter. 

"I'm sure that you've long-since known about my experiments. I know that Sarutobi-sensei trusts you with at least that much," 

At that, he mutters a little "fuck you" under his breath before reading on. 

"However, I would like to express my sincerity in saying that my loyalties have always lain with Konoha," 

A little "blah, blah, blah" slips past his lips unbidden this time. 

"I have my ways of information gathering, just as you do, but I believe that I know something that even you do not. That man, Shimura Danzo, came to me asking for power," he says. 

Suddenly, the air is tense. Naruto doesn't make any underhanded comments. Itachi looks about ready to murder someone and Kisame's hand rests reassuringly on his leg. I recognize the name. Almost everyone knows of the war hawk, but I don't understand what's so bad about this. If I knew who the snake pedophile was, maybe I'd be able to figure out why this is so bad. Sakura looks equally confused.

"Sasuke, Sakura, the 'snake pedophile,' as Naruto calls him, is the Sannin Orochimaru," Kakashi says tensely. 

There's murder in his eye when I look and his hands are clenched into fists so tight that they're shaking slightly.

"The one who betrayed the village?" Sakura asks. Then it dawns on me. Now I get it.

"If a loyal Konoha shinobi is trying to ally themselves with him, it means treason," I state. 

My eyes are wide, and I can't find it in me to try to control my facial expressions anymore. Shimura Danzo was Sarutobi's teammate, so why would he want to betray Konoha? It doesn't quite make sense yet, but I get the feeling that Danzo has done other shitty stuff in the past.

"Not necessarily," Itachi intervenes with a wave of his hand. 

Sakura and I both tilt our heads the same way at the same time. 

'Damn, I spend way too much time with this girl.' I think sourly. 

Naruto raises both eyebrows in a condescending manner. 

"If you'd read Shisui's first, you'd see that Orochimaru never truly betrayed Konoha. He dredged all of it up recently and spoke to Orochimaru. It seems that Hokage-sama hasn’t been honest with any of us," Itachi explains. I feel my eyes widen.

"Shisui?" I ask. Itachi looks at me, an eyebrow raised. "As in our cousin Shisui?" I clarify. I catch the change in my voice, slightly incredulous, slightly hopeful. 

"Yes," Itachi answers slowly, looking at Naruto for approval. Naruto gives a discreet nod for Itachi to continue. "He's been helping to spy on Orochimaru since..." Itachi starts, but can't bring himself to say it. The massacre. 

That's the only proof that I need to confirm that Itachi wasn't the mastermind behind the massacre. The fact that my usually emotionless big brother can't even bring himself to say two little words speaks volumes. He wouldn't avoid those words just to spare me. I know that he wouldn't. But more importantly, there's another living Uchiha.

"So he's alive..." I say in wonder. I barely catch Sakura's grin.

"Is he safe?" Naruto asks.

"Yeah, but you could've just read the scroll instead," Itachi answers, smirking slightly at us both with hopeful and happy little smiles on our faces. Naruto's happy face is crushed a second later, his brain going back to business-mode.

"If Danzo turned to Orochimaru, whether or not Orochimaru is a traitor, that further marks Danzo as a traitor, especially if this gives us his intentions," Naruto explains, waving the scroll slightly. He huffs in exhaustion. "I just wish that everyone in our goddamn village would stop being a dumbass," he sighs, throwing his head back in exasperation.

"Please continue," Kakashi requests before I can ask about the "further" part.

"God, fine," Naruto grumbles. He takes a deep breath and begins again. 

"He told me that he wanted to destroy Konoha," 

A small "fuck that" is muttered. 

"I turned him away with a lie that I would be the only one to put an end to that place," Naruto says. 

"Bitch gonna bleed." he growls. I feel my blood run cold at the amount of killing intent suddenly in the air from Itachi and Naruto combined. I would not want to face Naruto and his ANBU team on the battlefield. Nah, fuck that shit.

"Hasn't he already ruined enough people's lives?" Itachi exclaims in barely suppressed anguish. Kisame's hand moves to Itachi's shoulder in a comforting fashion.

"What do you mean?" I find myself asking before I can stop myself.

"Shimura Danzo has done a lot of bad things, Sasuke," Naruto replies stiffly. His entire body is tense, as if he's barely restraining himself from reaching out and strangling someone.

"Like what?" I ask, pushing the matter further despite the negative reactions.

"Sasuke, please, don't push this," Itachi begs.

"No. What did he do?" I demand. I need answers, and I won't be satisfied until I get them. Surely Naruto knows that by now.

"Your memories are fake," Naruto says. My eyes widen. "Danzo ordered the execution of your clan. You, Itachi, and Shisui were the only Uchiha survivors," he says.

"What?" I say, astounded. I look at Itachi, trying to process what Naruto just said to me.

"It's true," Itachi chokes out. He looks crushed. "I didn't want you to remember. And Hokage-sama ordered us to rewrite your memories of that night to protect you," he states. "Naruto was there. Naruto protected you," he continues. 

I feel my jaw drop and I yank my gaze over to Naruto once more. I didn't figure that. Then, it clicks. He had cried when I'd asked him about Itachi. It finally made sense.

"That doesn't matter," Naruto says sharply. He glares at Itachi. "All that matters is that he tried to kill all of you. Because he’s jealous and wants the sharingan," he growls, crossing his hands over his chest in a protective manner. 

"Let's just finish reading the snake pedophile's letter, shall we?" Naruto asks, not waiting for a response as he continues. "I felt that you should know about this, and also know that I am more than willing to help with anything that Konoha should need. Several of your allies know the easiest ways to contact me. Use them. Forever an ally, Orochimaru," he finishes. 

Naruto looks almost sad that he reached the end of the letter so quickly, so I decide not to push him on the matter of the massacre and stay silent instead.

"Do you think that he's being sincere?" Sakura asks, looking over Naruto's shoulder at the scroll in curiosity. Her delicate eyebrows are furrowed.

"He has no reason to lie, but Shisui's scroll should tell us more," Naruto replies. 

"What do you mean that he has no reason to lie?" I ask, desperately trying to understand everything. "Supposedly, he betrayed the village, right?" I ask, raising both eyebrows in concern.

"If he's lying, we'd easily be able to find out through Shisui," Naruto states.

"And if he doesn't know about Shisui?" I ask.

"He knows about Jiraiya-tou-san. Plus, Hokage-sama knows everything about his betrayal," Naruto answers with a sigh.

"The Sannin Jiraiya?" Sakura asks.

"Yeah," Naruto replies blandly.

"What does he know about Jiraiya-sama?" I ask, still confused.

"Orochimaru knows about Jiraiya-tou-san's massive spy network spanning the entirety of the five nations that monitors his every move," Naruto deadpans.

"What?" Sakura and I both exclaim.

"The worst of the missing-nins need to be monitored if they can't be captured, and Jiraiya took on that job. He keeps track of all of Konoha's missing-nins and captures the ones that he can," Naruto explains, a proud tinge to his voice. "That doesn't stop the old pervert from peeping on women, but it keeps him busy," he shrugs.

"ANBU go through a rotation with Jiraiya-sama once a year for a month," Itachi says, taking on the role of narrator, at least temporarily. "Do you remember when you were five and Shisui and I were gone for a month?" he asks, that same loving look in his eyes from when I only knew him as "nii-san" and not "family killer." I gulp down the lump in my throat.

"Yeah, I do," I answer.

"Well, we were with Jiraiya-sama," Itachi smiles. "The old coot even keeps an eye on me even though I'm not an actual missing-nin. It's just for show," he shrugs.

"What about the third Sannin?" Sakura asks. "Tsunade-sama?" she prompts.

"Tsunade-baa-chan is responsible for recruiting potential shinobi for Konoha," Naruto states. "She trains all of our medic-nins as well. Her last little responsibility is traveling to all of the nations and promoting Konoha so that we can maintain good relations with the rest of the world," he explains. "Any more questions?" Naruto asks, raising his eyebrows playfully and turning to me. I jerk back slightly, willing the warmth in my face away.

"For now, no, but expect more," I reply as sassily as I can. 

I know that it comes out half-baked at best, but I can't find it in me to be mad at myself. Jesus, I must be really drained from all of the fighting earlier.

"Shisui-nii's scroll now, please," Naruto requests, holding out his hand expectantly.

Itachi hands him Shisui's scroll without a word, but this time, I can't resist looking over Naruto's shoulder to read along. I rest my hand on Naruto's shoulder and my chin against the back of my hand. I'm painfully aware of our close proximity, but I don't draw away. 

"Naru-chan!" he starts, laughing and mimicking Shisui's voice surprisingly well. Itachi chuckles and I can't help the grin that quickly makes my cheeks hurt. 

"It's been awhile, hasn't it? Anyway, onto the important stuff," Random as always, I note with a hint of satisfaction. "Itachi will be handing you a scroll from Orochimaru, or maybe you've already read it, I don't know. Anywho, what Orochimaru is saying is true. All of it," Naruto pauses. 

"Orochimaru is loyal to Konoha, completely and totally. His entire life is dedicated to the well-being of Konoha. You'd be surprised how selfless the guy actually is. Even Jiraiya had no idea," Naruto reads. 

I'm almost surprised at how adult-like Shisui is in his writing, but what should I expect from an ANBU? 

"Hokage-sama didn't even actually ban Orochimaru from the village. All of that paperwork is fake, even ask Hokage-sama (I did)! Orochimaru's experimentations that we thought were all about immortality and blah, blah, blah, was actually military weaponry research. He's also been researching poisons and new torture methods! His entire life has been devoted to Konoha from the start, just like your godparents. He's being sincere and honest, which I'll be the first to admit is odd for such a snake, but you wouldn't believe some of the stuff that he's doing here!" 

At that, I can't help but think of the look Shisui likely had in his eyes while writing that. His eyes would've been glowing with excitement. 

"He's actually decent as a human being, but I'll admit that he's totally psycho. No seriously, keep Sasuke away from that pedophile, alright?" Naruto chuckles slightly and Itachi nods seriously. 

"Tell Sasuke that I said hi. Actually, no, that would be weird," I chuckle at that. He's just as eccentric as I remember from childhood. 

"And don't you dare tell Anko about this. I want to see her in person. Your big bro Shisui," he concludes. 

I jump as I realize that Tobi had been crouching behind Naruto and reading along as well. Itachi looks to be on the verge of laughter.

"Tobi, don't you think that you should remove your mask and introduce yourself?" Itachi suggests. 

Tobi flips him off in response, but reaches a hand up to his mask nonetheless. Naruto spins in place, making me lean myself on his other shoulder. I turn as well to look at this Tobi guy. He stands up fully and I catch Sakura spinning as well. Finally, he removes his mask. Half of his face is scar tissue, and the eye on that side seems duller somehow. He has short black hair and dark eyes.

"Hey there!" he grins with a slight wave. I hear Kakashi's breath catch. Naruto simply cocks his head to the side, bumping into mine. "My name's Uchiha Obito," he introduces. My breath catches as well.

"He's our uncle, Sasuke," Itachi says from behind us. I feel my jaw drop.

"Obito!" Kakashi exclaims, rocketing to his feet. "It is you!" he cries, sounding a mixture of relieved, angry, and indescribably sad. "I thought that you were dead! We all did!" he accuses.

"To be fair Kakashi, I did too," Uncle Obito chuckles. 

I raise an eyebrow, totally in the dark about how my uncle and my sensei know each other, and totally exasperated that so many members of my family are alive and I had no idea. 

"How are you alive, Obito-san?" Naruto asks. "From the mission reports, Team Minato's Uchiha Obito was crushed under a landslide during an impromptu rescue mission of your third teammate Rin," he says.

"Wait, you were in the same team?" I ask.

"Yeah," Obito chuckles. "This guy was such a show off," he teases, gesturing at Kakashi who's currently on the verge of tears. 

He rushes forward and embraces Obito. The rest of us are left to stare awkwardly at our hands. When they pull away, Naruto poses a question.

"So, how did you survive?" he asks.

"Well, a man who called himself Uchiha Madara saved my life and trained me," Obito says awkwardly. 

And if there was ever an Uchiha that didn't know the name Madara, I'd slap them myself.

"But Madara was killed in the battle with Hashirama!" I protest, jolting into an actual sitting position instead of just resting against Naruto. I barely even realize that I'd said that aloud, yet I continue nonetheless. "In the Valley of the End. Everyone knows about that," I mutter, confused for the millionth time in under an hour.

"This guy certainly looked old enough to be Madara, and I don't know of any other Uchiha that age that defected from Konoha. He had the Sharingan, but he constantly was linked to this large statue that possessed Hashirama's chakra. He said that's how he was able to live for so long," Obito explains.

"I see," Naruto says to himself. I settle back against his shoulder, trying to process how that was even possible.

"I don't," I complain.

"How would a dead man's chakra be able to keep someone alive?" Sakura asks, a bewildered look on her face.

"Hashirama-sama is something else. His chakra was amazing," Naruto says, slightly taken aback. "If a statue contained his chakra and was able to cycle it in with the user's own chakra, I don't see why it wouldn't keep someone alive," he muses. "Kurama's chakra does the same thing with me, so I'm guessing that fuinjutsu was involved," Naruto says it more like a question, looking directly at Uncle Obito.

"I believe so, but I'm no fuinjutsu expert," Uncle Obito shrugs.

"Naruto," Itachi calls.

"What?" he asks, leaning back slightly and upsetting my equilibrium.

"I see that you've forgotten about the last scroll," Itachi observes. 

I'm nearly overwhelmed with the urge to strangle my brother. If Naruto moves, that means that I'll have to move too, and I'm very comfortable. Besides, if I can't read this one over his shoulder, I can't lean on him anymore. I really don't like this. Naruto groans in protest. 

"But I don't want to get up yet," he argues.

"You just have to turn around. That's not getting up. Technically," Itachi counters. 

Naruto shrugs his shoulder just the tiniest bit in warning before spinning in his spot. I turn back around as well and lean on Naruto again, though he doesn't seem to mind in the slightest. Itachi passes Naruto the last scroll, one with the Uzumaki crest symbol on it. Naruto frowns down at it before opening it. He doesn't read aloud this time, but Sakura and I read over his shoulder nonetheless.

"Dear Naruto,

Hello, my name is Uzumaki Nagato. You don't know me and I don't know you, but after doing some digging, I found out that the two of us are cousins by blood. Even though we've never met, I feel like I already know you. After I figured out that you sent Itachi into my organization as a spy, he never shut up about you. And yes, as I'm sure that you've guessed, I am the leader of the Akatsuki and the master of the Six Paths of Pein. I do hope that you realize that I purposely never caused your village trouble. I knew that my aunt, your mother, lived there. I wanted contact with a relative again, if possible. However, it now comes to my attention that your village will soon be dealing with a threat. This threat that I speak of goes by the name of Shimura Danzo. I know about this because even though Orochimaru left my organization, we do still stay in touch. You see, dear cousin, there's trouble on the horizon for us as well. The other hidden villages are threatening to wipe us out, even though we haven't harmed them in the slightest. That is why we need to ally ourselves with one of the hidden villages. I'm sure that you're wondering why I want to ally my group with you and your village. It's simple, really. Konoha is powerful, a force to be reckoned with, if you will. I have family there, you. And Konoha is the place that Itachi is loyal to. I'd like to be allies, and I understand that we need to prove ourselves. Let us assist you with Danzo, then you can decide whether or not to call us your allies.

Sincerely, Uzumaki Nagato."

I blink to get some moisture back into my eyes that had widened at some point and not blinked afterwards. I can see Sakura having the same reaction. Naruto stares blankly at it for another moment, silent.

"What do you think?" Itachi asks cautiously.

"How did I get my vision back?" he asks in reply.

"That was my doing," Sasori intervenes.

"I figured," Naruto responds. He pauses for a moment. "Alright," he mutters.

"Just like that?" Kisame asks, leaning forward and resting his chin on his hands, elbows resting on his knees. "Don't you think that's a bit rash of you?" he asks.

"Not at all," Naruto replies, solid in his view. "There's no downside for Konoha," Naruto states. Kisame raises an eyebrow, about to state the obvious, that we'd be angering the other hidden villages by taking them in, but Naruto allows no room for argument. "Through this, we gain powerful allies with connections; Akatsuki and Orochimaru both have friends 

and allies in this world, some of the most elite shinobi in the world, all of whom would bow to Konoha's every whim if told to do so," he explains. "The only main village that we have decent relations with is Suna, and I doubt that this will piss them off too much. The others will eventually come around. The wounds from the Third Shinobi War are too fresh for any village to attack Konoha over such a trivial matter. None of the Kage are that stupid," he says quickly. 

"As far as I'm concerned, internal affairs are where we really need to be vigilant. If Akatsuki and Orochimaru are willing to be our allies to take down our most dangerous enemy and continue to be our allies, then there isn't any reason why I shouldn't accept. This is almost too good to be true," he laughs.

"I told you that he was a genius," Itachi grins, elbowing Kisame happily.

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	20. The Chuunin Exams (1)

**Chapter 20 - The Chuunin Exams (1)**

**Author's Note: Hello, everyone. In case you don't know yet, this story will end on chapter 25, so it's almost over. I'm also currently looking for a beta-reader, or a couple, to help me out with my original novel The Path to Despair. Message me if you're interested. I now have a Twitter and a Tumblr, so follow me there if you want.**

**https://twitter.com/talina_tpq**

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**Just a little info, I don't write lemon, so don't expect anything like that in this story. I'll start taking oneshot requests. No lemon. If I don't know the anime, I'll probably turn down your request.**

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**Current update schedule for this story: SUNDAY, WEDNESDAY, AND FRIDAY.**

**Enjoy the chapter while I try to ignore my aching body. Casually ran 4 miles yesterday. There's this hill called cemetery hill. With that thing involved, my time was 54 minutes. It's eh, but I wasn't the last person to finish... Yay…**

**Editor’s Note: Let the last arc begin! Those links are broken! If you’d actually like to support me, head over to the links in my bio and maybe consider purchasing something from my Redbubble shop! Most proceeds go towards school or paying for my coffee-induced writing sessions!**

**Chapter 20**

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

After the mess in the Land of the Waves, we were glad to make it back in one piece. It was a painful experience for me to say the least. I got exposed as Kitsune-sama, though my mission wasn't found out, and I got offered assistance from bad guys to take out another bad guy. It really didn't help that they were all so polite about it. 

Besides that, I totally lost control of Kurama's chakra in my rage, justified though it was. I murdered a man right in front of Sasuke. If that didn't kill my chances with Sasuke, I don't know what would. Though, I probably didn't have a chance to begin with. I sigh lightly.

I lean against the railing of the bridge near our training ground. As usual, Sasuke, Sakura, and I are here, but there's no sign of Kakashi and we're on hour number two of waiting. I sigh again. Even the sights that come with being able to see, courtesy of Sasori, can't entertain me for this long. 

I can't even stare at Sasuke. If I do, he looks at me like I'm a stalker. Hopefully, he'll never know how accurate that thought is. It's another painfully long few minutes before Kakashi appears in a poof of smoke like usual. 

Sakura quietly scolds him for being late once more while he makes his terrible excuses. Her initial squealing and screeching has definitely calmed down since she found out that my ears are sensitive. I'm thankful for having her as a friend. Maybe if Sasuke and I even did get together (doubtful), we'd have her support rather than her opposition.

"Anyway," Kakashi starts, finally getting Sakura to stop scolding him. "Today isn't a mission, today is a thinking day," he chirps. Already knowing what he's talking about, I remain impassive. "All of you need to decide whether or not you want to enter the chuunin exams, but do know that I have recommended all three of you for them," he states. The genin turn to me.

"Do you think that we're ready for the exams?" Sasuke asks.

"I think that you are very strong," I state carefully, being cautious not to say something that would totally give away the coming plan. "Do know that I cannot help you, but I think that you both should go for it. I know that I'm taking the opportunity," I shrug.

"Says the commander of the ANBU," Sakura hisses quietly after a quick check to make sure that no one is around.She and Sasuke both scowl at me playfully.

"To be fair, I never actually was a chuunin, or a genin for that matter. So this is a new experience for me, too!" I reply simply.

"Seriously?" Sakura asks, incredulous.

"Yep," I answer. "I went from toddler to ANBU to captain to commander," I explain, being sure to keep my Sensory open to check for eavesdroppers. 

Sasuke and Sakura give me slightly amazed looks, and I try to not let it inflate my ego too much.

"I'll enter the Chuunin Exams too," Sasuke states.

"Don't think that you two idiots are leaving me behind," Sakura says indignantly. "Whatever we do, we do it together," she states.

"Agreed," Sasuke chuckles. 

I smile at the two of them. If they decide to enter the ANBU, I'm definitely bringing them into Team Kitsune.

**The Next Morning - Naruto's P.O.V.**

As we approach the crowd, Sasuke and Sakura share a glance. Neither one bothers to look at me to confirm that what they saw is correct. They've already figured out that if they both see something, it's most likely the correct scenario. The three of us simply walk past the genjutsu. As we pass TenTen, she gives me a little wave. Their team seem to be observing things down there for some reason. We make our way to the room designated for us to wait in.

Sasuke slides open the door and lets Sakura and I enter first before stepping in himself and sliding the door shut. Sakura gulps at the sight of our competition. Most of the genin in this room are adults who have likely taken the exam multiple times. I spot Orochimaru's goons, namely the lapdog Kabuto, and I carefully ignore them. I can't afford to give away our plans.

"Sasuke, Sakura! Long time. no see!" a familiar voice calls out. Inuzuka Kiba stands off to the side, a hand raised in greeting, the other grasping Hinata's. 

Nearly all of the genin in the room turn to glare at us. Sasuke closes his eyes and purses his lips to avoid telling him off for being so loud. Kiba is with his team and Shikamaru's. All Rookie 9 from Konoha this year made it to the Chuunin Exams. That's unheard of and rather impressive. All of them must have grown a great deal since graduation. Sasuke and Sakura each grab one of my wrists and casually drag me along behind them to go talk to our friends.

"But I don't want to socialize!" I whine under my breath.

"Must I Chidori you?" Sasuke asks darkly.

"There's a power-punch coming your way, bud," Sakura threatens, cracking her knuckles menacingly. 

I groan and drop to the ground into a sitting position in my stubbornness. Yes, this is how the commander of the ANBU behaves. And no, nobody has a problem with it. If they do, they just strangely disappear. Despite my refusal at cooperation, my teammates continue to drag me over to speak to people.

"Hey there, Naruto," Shikamaru greets, an amused glint to his eyes. 

I grunt in response, realizing only a second later that I sound like an Uchiha and am acting like a Nara. I pout at myself, my eyebrows furrowing in frustration.

"Something wrong?" Choji asks good-naturedly, munching on a bag of chips.

"He's just being a baby," Sasuke replies.

"Huh? What do you mean, Sasuke-kun?" Ino asks, batting her eyelashes at Sasuke and trying to make herself appear more attractive as she attempts to flirt with him.

"He doesn't like socializing, but he knows that we'll make him do it," Sakura grins, her eyes locked on Ino menacingly.

"Unless he wants to end up through a wall, that is," Sasuke mutters, totally ignoring Ino's botched attempts at flirting.

"I'm never running to your rescue ever again," I grumble. "Not if you're going to team up and make me socialize," I whine lowly.

"You were running to Kakashi's rescue, so don't get things confused," Sakura says. I stick my tongue out at her.

"Wow. I mean, I thought that it would be a cold day in hell before Sasuke would be talking more than Naruto," Kiba laughs.

"Kiba, don't be mean to Sasuke-kun!" Ino protests. 

I feel my entire body stiffen in barely suppressed rage. I honestly can't stand Sasuke's fangirls. If she doesn't shut up, I might just make her.

"If you keep doing that, Ino, Naru-chan is going to go all Yandere-mode," Sakura warns, her eyes boring into Ino's to show how serious she is.

"I don't do that," I argue with a scowl.

"Says the guy that glared a hole in Kisame's back for teasing me," Sasuke counters, raising an eyebrow.

"Itachi was way worse!" I protest, glaring at him.

"That's his boyfriend!" Sasuke counters. "You, on the other hand, had no right to be jealous," Sasuke huffs.

"Says the guy who practically cuddled with me throughout an important meeting!" I growl, scowling up at him.

"It's not like you were protesting!" Sasuke argues, his ears turning red and his shoulders drawing upwards.

"Boys," Sakura says darkly. 

I immediately go poker-face while Sasuke goes pale. We both mutter an apology.

"Wait, are you two like dating or something?" Kiba asks, looking horrified.

"NO!" we whisper-scream in unison, both of our faces simultaneously going beet red.

"Suuuuuuuurrrre," Shikamaru drones out. "The sexual tension is so thick that you couldn't cut it with a knife," he teases. Sasuke hides his face behind his hands, the guys laughing at him.

"Really now?" I ask myself, huffing. 

Suddenly, red hair catches my eyes. 'Gaara!' 

I feel my eyes widen in excitement and I shoot my old friend a grin. His sea foam green eyes narrow further in a glare, and I sense killing intent. I draw back a bit, my smile falling. I notice Sasuke's eyes following my line of sight. I raise a questioning eyebrow and give Gaara a concerned look, but the killing intent intensifies and I begin to detect traces of the chakra of his tailed beast. I immediately back down and look away, not wanting to cause a fight. Worry plagues me.

"Who's the asshole glaring at you for god know's why?" Sasuke growls.

"No one!" I squeak.

"Ooh, is it an old boyfriend?" Sakura asks teasingly, only a hint of anger and overprotectiveness in her voice.

"Ick! No!" I protest, scrunching up my nose. "That's Gaara no Sabaku, the Kazekage's third son. His older siblings are his teammates, and it doesn't matter!" I explain abruptly.

"You're gay, Naruto?" Ino asks curiously, tilting her head to the side.

"Not that it's any of your business," I mutter, making the tiniest of glances towards the angelic raven at my side. "but yes, I am," I finish, staring her down.

"Got a problem with that?" Sakura asks in a low voice.

"No," she laughs, shaking her head. "I owe you ten bucks, Shikamaru," she concedes.

"Damn straight, woman," Shikamaru sighs.

"You bet over my sexuality?" I ask darkly, aware that Sasuke is glaring at him with the same intensity at which I'd glared at Kisame in the Land of the Waves. I feel my cheeks become warm, but I refuse to acknowledge it.

"I know everyone's sexuality in our little group," Shikamaru admits. Sasuke raises an eyebrow.

"Spill," I demand with a straight face.

"Sakura's straight," he starts. I tilt my head to the side with an unimpressed look on my face. "Uchiha's gay," he says, a smile gracing his lips. I raise my eyebrows at that. The fact that he isn't too lazy to look proud speaks volumes.

"Oh really?" Sasuke asks, a bored look on his face.

"Yep," Shikamaru replies, popping his "p." I look curiously between the two.

"Then I suppose you know who I like, as well," Sasuke states. 

I perk up at this. I wonder how much money it would take to bribe Shikamaru to tell me.

"Yeah," Shikamaru mutters with a yawn.

"Tell anyone and I promise that I'll kill you slowly, trapping you in genjutsu after genjutsu of horrifying nightmares until you kill yourself," Sasuke threatens, a small, tight smile making his eyes narrow. 

Shikamaru's eyes widen briefly before he nods.

"Damn, Uchiha," Kiba sighs. "Anyone ever tell you that you're terrifying?" he asks jokingly.

"Not usually, although everyone seems to think that about my boyfriend," Sasuke answers, looking me dead in the eyes. 

I crack up with laughter. Sure, I'd been pissed at Kisame at the time, but now we have the most spectacular inside joke.

"Huh?" Kiba mutters.

"Inside joke," Sakura states, choking back her own laughter.

"I thought that you said that you two weren't dating," Choji points out, confused.

"Everyone seems to think that we are for god knows why," Sasuke huffs, but I catch the slight blush coloring his cheeks. 

"Who else, Shikamaru?" I ask.

"Ino is straight. Chouji is straight. I'm straight." he sighs. "Kiba, Hinata, and Shino are all straight. Basically, you and Sasuke are the only gays in our little group," he explains. I nod to myself, agreeing with all of his assessments.

Suddenly, we all hear a door swing open. I quickly determine that the chakra belongs to Ibiki and climb to my feet.

"Alright, you little maggots!" Ibiki shouts, silencing everyone at once. "Come with me!" he orders. 

Everyone who had been sitting rises to their feet and rushes to follow Ibiki. He leads us to another, larger room. There's a chair for everybody and there are three chairs at each table. There are name cards placed before each chair. I sense for my name and quickly find it; middle chair in the very front at the middle table. There are groans as people realize that they have assigned seating.

"Don't do anything stupid," I warn, turning to my teammates.

"How do we know what's stupid?" Sakura asks, looking worried.

"Just don't make any decisions and do everything as close to correctly as humanly possible," I clarify, moving towards my own seat and signaling that Sasuke and Sakura should look for their seats as well. I sit down between Hinata and one of the sound ninja.

"I am Ibiki and I'll be your proctor for the first part of the exams," he introduces with a swing of his arm and a nasty look on his face. 

"The Chuunin Exams is a test that has three parts, so don't think that you have it easy," Ibiki warns. "I'll explain my test, so listen up and hold your questions until the end. I don't like to repeat myself," he states, his eyes taking on a murderous glint. 

"This will be a written exam with ten questions. The first nine questions will be on this piece of paper here that I'll hand out when I'm done," he says, lifting up a stack of papers and swinging it in the air with one hand. "You'll have an hour to complete the first nine questions. If you don't finish, you'll just have to hand in what you have done. Then, I'll give you the tenth question. Let's get started," he states. 

He hands off parts of the stack to each person in the middle-front of their rows, deciding to give me my stacks last. I pass papers to the genin beside me and I secure my own before passing it back.

"If you'd given me this before that thing with Sasori-san, I would've killed you. Or, I would've told An-nee. Neither option would've been good for you," I tell Ibiki. 

Both Hinata and the sound-nin seated on either side of me stare at me, wide eyed.

"I know," Ibiki chuckles lowly. "I had to double check with the snake witch that you had your run in with him," he smiles, narrowing his eyes the slightest bit. "You know that I'm all about tying up loose ends, Naru-chan," he smirks.

"Die in fire," I deadpan.

"Ah, before I forget, there are more rules," Ibiki quickly shouts, scowling at himself. There are a few murmurs, but everyone quickly quiets down. I nearly laugh. "You have a total of ten points. Each attempt at cheating costs you two points. Lose all ten points and you're out. If your group as a whole has less than six points, your entire team will be escorted out. Begin!" he barks. I raise an eyebrow and we exchange a knowing look. 

'So he did decide to go with my suggestion,' I think to myself.

I quickly breeze through the questions, knowing that very few of the genin will know any of the information on the exam. I use my Sensory to watch the genin and catch every cheating attempt, even the ones that Ibiki himself misses. My smirk grows with each attempt I catch that he doesn't. When the timer goes off, there are several groans. I simply lean back in my chair.

"Everyone flip your tests over," Ibiki orders. Everyone does as he says. I catch Hinata staring at the chart I've made on the back of mine. The number of times each person cheated. Her face goes pale, but I simply hold a finger to my lips. Ibiki steps forward and grabs mine, looking at the chart on the back. 

"Damn, Uzumaki," he whistles. "Just a little tip for all of you, if you're going to cheat, don't do it near this kid," Ibiki advises, pulling me to my feet and spinning me around for everyone to see. I scowl at him over my shoulder. "If he'd been your proctor, none of you would've passed," he mutters, pushing me back into my seat. 

Irritation flashes through me and I growl under my breath. 

"Anyway, onto question ten," Ibiki states. "First of all, this question is optional. If you don't take it, you automatically fail, but if you get the question wrong, you'll never be allowed to take the Chuunin Exam again and you will forever remain a genin," he explains. 

There are several outraged cries. 

"If you quit this, your team is taken out of the running with you," he warns. Despite the warning, genin still raise their hands to be taken out. I stay silent and watch the scene unfold through my Sensory. The Sand Siblings, team Gai, the rookie 9, and Orochimaru's spies are all still here and apparently not backing down. 

"That's it?" Ibiki asks. Everyone left in the room nods in confirmation. He sighs. "Well, you all pass," he states. There are confused glances exchanged. "Naru?" he asks, stepping aside.

"Yes!" I exclaim, leaping to my feet. My scowl is replaced by an excited grin.

"I should give credit where credit is due, I'm afraid," Ibiki laughs.

"Okay, just a second," I say, leaping out of my chair and dashing over to the window to slide it open.

"Anko coming?" he asks.

"Yeah. You know how she likes to break windows," I chuckle, taking my spot next to him. "Hey everyone!" I greet, tilting my head to the side with a grin. 

"In case you don't know, my name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm the actual mastermind behind this test!" I chirp. There are some raised eyebrows and some dropped jaws, but I ignore them and continue. 

"You see, my friends told me that they needed a way to test information gathering, determination, and teamwork. I came up with this. An impossible test with a few in the room who know the answers and a question ten scenario," I explain. 

"As a chuunin, you'll face terrible things, and at times, you may have to choose between the lives of your two teammates or choose between the mission and your team," I state. "You'll have to make huge decisions quickly, and I mean life or death decisions. You'll need to have the determination to follow through on those decisions," I state.

"But aren't you just a genin too?" some faceless nobody asks loudly.

"Huh? Officially, yes," I state. "Unofficially, sometimes shit gets real and there's a reason why I'm friends with Ibiki over here," I finish just as Anko jumps through the open window.

"Damn it!" Anko screeches, looking at the open window accusingly. Everyone starts.

"An-nee! Mind your language!" I scold.

"Says the kid who out-cusses me on a regular fucking basis, fox boy," she taunts in return. "Alright, follow me if you want to die in agony!" she shouts, jumping out of the window again.

"She means that she's your second proctor and that we'd better go," I state. "Sasu, Saku, come on, hurry up. You guys haven't met An-nee yet," I urge.

"The chick Shisui likes?" Sasuke asks, quickly joining me, along with Sakura at the front of the room.

"Yep!" I chirp, jumping out of the window. 

I sense Sasuke and Sakura follow me out and the rest of the genin jump to their feet to join us. I grin as I realize where Anko is taking us. The Forest of Death. I barely resist the urge to pump my fist in the air and shout in joy. I haven't been able to train in the Forest for the longest time. I don't, however, resist the urge to laugh maniacally under my breath. Sasuke and Sakura look at me like I'm crazy. 

"The Forest of Death, bitches!" I tell them.

"Ah," they grin at each other. They've become well acquainted with my obsession with the Forest since I always complain about not being able to train in there. I rush up to Anko like an excited child.

"Nee-san, you didn't!" I grin.

"Oh, otouto-san, I most certainly did!" Anko replies, a sly grin on her face. The rest of the genin catch up with us rather quickly.

"What's with this crazy bitch?" I hear someone ask. I feel a sadistic grin find it's way to my lips and my eyes narrow.

"Naru, don't kill anyone yet," Anko warns, wrapping me up in a bear hug. "I don't want to fill out your accident report," she pleads.

“It wouldn’t be an accident, An-nee,” 

"Naru, no murdering," Sakura scolds gently.

"You mean I can't snap a bitch's neck like a fucking twig and bathe in the fuckboy's blood?" I ask loudly, drawing more attention to myself. "Anyone insults my onee-san, and they're going to fucking die," I laugh evilly. I sense the kid shiver in fear.

"Not yet, you can't," Anko chirps in a sing-song voice. "Although I do know how you like your assassination missions," she grins evilly. 

I laugh in response, not bothering to keep the maniacal tinge from my slightly psychotic laughter. What can I say? It's fun to terrify the genin. 

"Alright, everybody! Listen up!" Anko shouts suddenly. Even I perk up at the command from my adorable lower-ranking officer. "I'm going to be your next proctor or whatever the hell you want to call me. And no, slut doesn't work," she grouches.

"Who the hell called you that?" I ask darkly.

"A couple of old bastards," Anko replies with a dismissing wave.

"Just wait until I tell Shisui," Sasuke grins.

"Wait, what?" Anko screeches, her eyes going suddenly wide.

"Oh nothing!" I chirp, covering Sasuke's chuckling mouth quickly and giving Anko a sheepish grin. 

"What, gaki?" Anko asks threateningly.

"You'll find out!" I answer hastily. "Don't you have genin to torture?" I ask, trying to distract her.

"That I do, that I do!" Anko chirps, rubbing her hands together maniacally. "Okay, listen up again!" she shouts. "You are now in my domain!" she yells gleefully.

"Excuse me, snake woman?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay, okay, Naru and I's domain," Anko concedes. 

I quickly get an elbow in the sides from both of my teammates. 

"Anyway, our rules here are absolute, so let me tell you idiots what they are. Rule number one, anything goes! Kill each other, I don't fucking care! Just sign these waivers first so I'm not liable," she orders. Anko hands the stack of waivers to Sakura and says, "Be a dear and pass these out for me, would you?" 

"Anything, huh?" Sasuke asks me.

"There's a reason why it's called the Forest of Death," I mutter in reply.

"Another reason why I'm having you sign waivers is because of the creatures that live in my forest!" Anko shouts. I raise an eyebrow. "Our forest," she corrects with a tilt of her head. I smile approvingly. "They're going to eat you suckers alive," she laughs. "I even starved my babies for you!" she grins.

"Is this lady crazy?" Sasuke asks me, keeping his voice low so as to not be heard.

"Didn't you ever wonder who I got my sadistic side from?" I ask in response.

"How the hell did Shisui fall in love with this one?" Sasuke asks.

"Just wait until you see their reunion," I grin.

"Alright, you see these scrolls?" Anko asks loudly, waving two different scrolls in the air, one with the kanji for earth and the other with the kanji for sky. "As you can see, one is an earth scroll and the other is a sky scroll. Each team will be given one scroll. Your job is to retrieve the other scroll and get to the center of the Forest. In the center of the Forest is a tower, and that's the meeting point. Do not, under any circumstances, open the scrolls until you reach the tower. When you reach the tower, open both of the scrolls. You have five days, and no, Chouji, meals will not be provided. I'll give you all half of an hour to retrieve your gear and get back here to get your scrolls. Move out!" she commands.

"Sasuke and I will take care of it," Sakura says, grasping my arm. "I have a feeling that there's someone you want to talk to, right?" she asks, looking pointedly at Gaara.

"Thank, guys," I smile.

"Whatever," Sasuke replies, grabbing Sakura and running off. I turn back to Gaara and watch his brother and sister, Kankuro and Temari, leave.

"I don't want to break up a fight between two jinchuuriki, Naru," Anko warns.

"I know, An-nee. I'll be careful," I assure her with a smile. 

She hums and turns back to another chuunin that had come running up. When I turn back around to face Gaara, I discover that he's already glaring at me like I kicked his puppy. I hold back my flinch and walk over to him with a stiff back and a body coiled for defense.

"What do you want, Uzumaki?" Gaara spits venomously.

"I just wanted to say hey, you know," I chuckle, forcing myself to appear at ease despite the fact that every hair on the back of my neck was standing at attention. 

My senses perk with the killing intent and the bijuu chakra swirling in the air. Luckily, Gaara's eyes haven't changed color yet, so I should be alright for a little while longer.

"Well, do you know what I want?" he asks.

"No, I don't," I answer, playing it safe and giving him no reason to be alarmed.

"Your head on a silver platter," Gaara answers, his eyes narrowing to fine glares, his KI rolling so freely that even the chuunin that had run up to Anko a moment ago was frozen. 

The sheer intensity of it nearly catches me off guard. Anko and I are the only ones unaffected by it, but I force myself to remain still and frightened in appearance until he storms off.

"Naru!" Anko shouts, running over to me. "What the hell was that? What did Sabaku want?" she asks frantically.

"My head on a silver platter," I answer, absentmindedly rubbing a hand over the long scar on my throat.

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	21. The Chuunin Exams (2)

**Chapter 21 - The Chuunin Exams (2)**

**Author's Note: Current update schedule, SUNDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY.**

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**Chapter 21**

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

Gradually, all of the genin arrive back at the clearing just outside of the Forest of Death where the rules for the second part of the Chuunin Exams had been explained. Gaara seems awfully calm by the time that he comes back after storming off earlier, but I don't let his eery presence get to me. 

I know that I need to remain focused, and not for the purpose of succeeding in the Chuunin Exams. That matters very little to me now. What matters most is the plan and defeating a certain asshole. I just hope that Gaara didn't kill somebody. That would be troublesome.

"Naru, is everyone here yet?" Anko asks. 

The chuunin had taken her over to Hokage-sama's office, where she was quickly briefed on what's going on. She's not asking if all of the genin are here yet. She's asking if Orochimaru is here yet.

"Yeah. Everyone's here," I answer easily, not betraying the true intentions behind the question, even to Sasuke and Sakura, who glance between us curiously.

"Okay! We're going to get started now!" Anko shouts. "Go to the tent over there to get your scrolls!" Anko orders, pointing a finger over to the hastily made tent that looks about ready to fall down.

"Can I?" Sakura asks, her eyes starry. Sasuke and I share a glance.

"I don't see why not," Sasuke replies, looking back at her with a small smile. 

This small act of trust makes Sakura grin like a fool.

"You've got a strong punch. Go ahead," I agree. 

Sakura blushes slightly at the praise, but I know that she isn't romantically interested in me. She just likes the thought that someone who she cares about is recognizing her strength. Sakura runs off to the tent to grab our scroll. 

"So, are you going to tell me what happened when we were gone?" Sasuke asks.

"How'd you know?" I ask sarcastically.

"Because I know you," Sasuke responds.

"That was cheesy," I laugh.

"I know," Sasuke chuckles.

"Gaara wants my head on a silver platter. Kind of disconcerting since I'm pretty sure that we're friends," I answer, shooting Sasuke an awkward grin.

"Let him try it. I'll fucking kill him," Sasuke growls. His Sharingan activate and his eyes narrow in a glare directed at the redhead who wants me dead.

"Love you too, Sasu-chan," I laugh.

"Fuck off," he mutters.

"Got it!" Sakura chirps, running up to us.

"Good. We should wait for An-nee to give the signal to start," I reply.

"That Gaara guy is gunning for Naru's head," Sasuke mutters darkly.

"Fuck that shit," Sakura grumbles.

"Sakura-chan!" I blanch.

"What?" Sakura asks sweetly, twirling a strand of pink hair around her finger. "If he tries anything, I'll punch him so hard he'll be eating out of his own ass," Sakura threatens.

"Oh my god! You two are way too overprotective," I complain.

"Do you have a problem with that, dobe?" Sasuke asks sharply.

"Well, don't get into a fight with him," I warn. "He's a jinchuuriki like me, so you'd be fucked and up shit creek without your goddamn paddle," I say sagely.

"You're a jinchuuriki?" Sakura asks. "Wait, what is a jinchuuriki?" she asks again, her eyebrows scrunching up in confusion.

"Fuck me," I mutter under my breath. 

Sasuke's cheeks color the slightest bit, but he keeps watching me carefully. 

"A jinchuuriki is the human container for a tailed beast," I explain, keeping my voice as low as I can.

"Oh," Sakura mutters. "OH!" she says a bit louder in realization. "Wait, is that why the villagers always give you dirty looks?" she hisses secretively.

"Yeah," I sighed. "Sorry, that's kind of confidential, so don't spread it around," I warn.

"I get the meaning of your codename now," Sasuke chuckles. "Demon fox, right?" he asks, his voice so low that I sense it more than hear it. Sakura's eyes widen and her mouth forms a little "o." 

"Yeah," I answer shyly, my face flushing in embarrassment. "Not many people our age know, so keep it quiet," I warn again.

"We will, we will," Sakura assures rushedly.

"Not many?" Sasuke asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, TenTen knows," I think aloud. "And I think that Neji's figured it out. Maybe Shikamaru, too," I consider, shrugging.

"Shikamaru what?" Shikamaru asks from behind me. 

I will my body not to tense up in surprise. I had known that the rest of the rookie 9 were coming over, but I hadn't realized how close they were.

"Just talking about something I think that you've figured out, Shikamaru," I respond, turning to my other comrades.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru groans.

"You think that everything is troublesome, you lazy ass," Ino deadpans.

"Arguing with you is also troublesome, woman," he replies boredly.

"I will kill you," Ino threatens.

"Troublesome woman," Shikamaru complains.

"Alright then!" Kiba interjects, looking a bit worried at the anger written all over Ino's face and Shikamaru's obvious lack-of-caring.

"Dad said you need me for something, Naruto," Shikamaru states, staring at me with a calculating look, likely trying to figure out what I want.

"I always need you for something, Shikamaru, you genius, you," I tease good naturedly.

"What do you want, Uzumaki?" Shikamaru snaps. The rookie 9 look between us, confused.

"Oh, wait!" Sakura exclaims.

"That?" Sasuke asks, looking slightly troubled. "I don't know what you think we'll get out of this, Naru," he argues.

"Well, I just want to be sure that our plan is foolproof," I explain to them before turning back to Shikamaru. "Look, everyone, I'm going to need your help pretty soon, so I'll keep tabs on you guys during the test. Don't pick a fight with the redhead over there. You won’t win," I warn, gesturing with my head to Gaara.

"Woah, that chick with him is hot, though!" Kiba protests.

"That's his older sister. Touch her and die," I warn, waving my hands as if that would dispel the bad idea.

"Why shouldn't we pick fights with him?" the ever-silent Shino asks.

"Because if he's daring enough to literally come out and say, 'I want your head on a silver platter' to me, you know shit's about to get real. He's bad news, so stay away. He's wicked with Sensory, so don't try to spy on them either. You guys all need to pass this test, understand?" I explain.

"What's going on?" Chouji asks between bites of chips.

"I'll tell you all later," I offer. "For now, An-nee is about to start the test," I state, gesturing to the snake woman who just exited the tent.

"How'd you know?" Ino asks in awe.

"Because I'm a fucking awesome sensor-nin," I brag.

"Shut up, usuratonkachi," Sasuke grumbles. 

I stick my tongue out at him just as Anko commands the beginning of the test. My eyes meet Kabuto's and we exchange a nod as his four teams of sound-nin rush into the forest first. Step 1, assassinate as many of Danzo's spies as humanly possible early on. They'll let everyone else pass.

"Wait," I tell the rookie 9. 

I see team Gai, waiting for my nod to continue. All of the other teams rush the gate. Three, no, four teams drop dead almost instantaneously.

"Damn," Shikamaru mumbles.

"How'd you know?" Kiba asks, surprised.

"They have their orders, I have mine," I muse. "They need to kill everyone they can, I'm responsible for keeping you guys alive. Try not to die on me, would you? I do hate paperwork," I chuckle, shrugging a shoulder. I nod to TenTen's team. "Genin," I command. 

Sasuke and Sakura immediately follow me into the Forest. I barely hear one of them ask if I just called my own teammates 'Genin.' I grin to myself. 

"I'll find the scroll that we need, but you two are doing all the work," I warn. 

I sense them both nod sharply. 

"If they're spies, I'll kill them. If not, we'll leave them unconscious for someone to find," I state, sensing their nods once more. "Then we'll vanish off to one of the corners of the Forest, I'll put up a barrier, and you two will train for five days. Intentionally, we'll be one of the last teams to enter the tower to make the others underestimate us. Understand?" I ask.

"Yeah," Sasuke answers.

"Crystal clear," Sakura confirms.

"I'm tracking the scroll we need, so keep quiet as you run," I state. I sense them nod. "The second part of the Chuunin Exams is when we get rid of as many spies as we can. The third part is when we get rid of the rest and recruit the remaining genin. Then, we go for Danzo," I explain quietly. I sense my teammates nod once more. 

"I'll explain in greater depth later. For now, we're nearly there," I warn, stopping on a tree branch and motioning for Sasuke and Sakura to continue forward. 

Sasuke and Sakura shoot past me silently. I watch with rapt attention as they easily take down the three enemies. They're at least jounin level by now, thanks to me taking over their training. My sensory allows me to more intuitively coach them.

"Got it," Sasuke reports from the ground.

"Good job, you two," I praise, giving them a proud smile. Sakura beams and a smirk curls Sasuke's lips. "Follow me," I order. 

They immediately jump up into the tree, not wasting any time. I take off, Sasuke and Sakura following just behind me. I guide us to one of the corners of the Forest and quickly set up a barrier. 

"All right. Let's get started," I command, rubbing my hands together sadistically. My teammates pale, but nod nonetheless.

**Three Days Later - Naruto's P.O.V.**

I find myself laughing hysterically as the genin pant and gasp out pleas to take a break from training. When I was being trained, I don't remember being such a whiny baby.

"PLEASE!" Sakura cries out, so tired that she can barely keep herself on her feet.

"We're," Sasuke gasps, "dead... tired... please," he gasps out, his tone pleading.

"You two will continue training until Nagato-san gets here," I order with a sadistic grin. Sasuke and Sakura groan in exasperation and continue sparring sluggishly.

"I guess I'm right on time, then?" Nagato asks from a tree.

"Nagato-san!" Sakura and Sasuke shout in glee before shooting me pleading looks.

"I'm a sensor-nin, you guys," I state, waving my hand.

"Thank kami-sama," Sasuke sighs, thumping down on the ground with a huff. Sakura plops down next to him before laying down roughly.

"Hey, Naruto-kun," Nagato waves, jumping down from his tree. His red hair is pulled back into a ponytail, proudly showing off his violet Rinnegan. 

"Hello, Nagato-san." I reply. "Report?" I immediately request. He knows by now that I'm limited on time despite this part being mostly a waiting game.

"Everyone has arrived," he starts. "Perimeters are being established within the village and the ones for the village barriers are already reinforced. No one, Konoha shinobi or not, will be getting out easily," Nagato states. "Danzo hasn't figured our actions out yet, however, I do believe that he is suspicious of your position here in the Chuunin Exams," he offers with a shrug. 

"We are all prepared to observe the third part of the Chuunin Exams and Itachi has a genjutsu prepared. You don't need to worry about a thing. If it comes to it, we'll make sure that Danzo's head is your's to take. Do you have any concerns?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Gaara no Sabaku wants my head," I answer.

"That might be a problem," Nagato considers.

"Let him try, Sakura and I will fucking kill him," Sasuke interrupts darkly.

"Damn straight!" Sakura cheers.

"Good to know," Nagato deadpans. "I'll look into it, Naruto-kun. For now, I should get going," he finishes.

"Dismissed," I respond. Nagato promptly vanishes with a Shunshin. "Guess what you guys get to do now?" I chuckle.

"Damn," Sasuke and Sakura mutter, climbing to their feet to begin training once more.

**Two Days Later - Third Person P.O.V.**

As team 7 flies through the trees, one might think that they look perfectly at ease. It's really too bad that is most definitely not the case. Internally, all three of them are screaming. They're running very low on time to get to the Tower. It honestly is a good thing that Naruto knows the way, otherwise, they would never make it. 

As the three Konoha shinobi land nimbly on the ground in front of the Tower's entrance, they are greeted with a very broody silver-haired man with glasses perched on the tip of his nose. They'd slid further and further down the bridge of his nose without his notice as he looked at his watch every five seconds wondering where on earth the team that he's waiting for could possibly be.

"You're almost late!" Kabuto accuses, his head snapping up so fiercely that the force of the action sends the glasses flying off his face. "Damn," he mutters, looking forlornly at the bushes that he's sure his glasses landed in.

"To be fair, we aren't late yet," Naruto chimes in, looking at the bushes as well with a sheepish grin.

"Ugh, just get in there so I can find my glasses," Kabuto barks. "And try not to push it like this again," he pleads. Naruto grins before leading the genin inside the Tower.

"Naruto?" Sakura asks softly. The three of them walk quickly down the hallway.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?" Naruto replies.

"You'll be leading the third part of the Exams as Kitsune-sama, right?" Sakura asks.

"Yeah, I will, which means that this is where we part." Naruto responds, looking almost whimsically at his teammates before him. The three of them stop in front of a doorway. "Remember to open up the scrolls. Someone will lead you guys to me. I won't bother to leave a clone, so take care of yourselves, alright?" he explains. 

Sasuke and Sakura nod lightly, causing Naruto to grin before turning around and striding off. He isn't even three steps away when he removes the henge he placed on his ANBU gear and summons his mask from thin air. Kitsune-sama continues away from the genin without another word, his strides filled with purpose as they echo in the halls. Kitsune's cape swishes silently behind him, and that is the last view of Naruto the genin have until the third part of the Chuunin Exams.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

It's rare that I ever get nervous, but when I do, you better damn well believe that it gets really fucking bad. I get nervous about Sasuke, and I also get nervous when I realize that one little decision will affect the lives of everyone in my village permanently. 

So, why am I nervous now? Simple. I have to go up in front of my friends and allies as Kitsune-sama and draft them for a war that they currently have no idea is happening. Yeah, sounds simple, right? Nope. I'm going to fucking choke up there in front of everyone, but hey, at least I'll suffocate being myself. I enter the room where I sense Hokage-sama and my allies hiding out in and try to exude an aura of confidence and self-importance. 

"Hokage-sama," I greet emotionlessly, keeping myself calm with measured breaths through my nose, hoping that no one picks up on the sound.

"Kitsune-sama," Sarutobi replies. It still freaks me out that he uses that honorific.

"How are things going, Hokage-sama?" I ask, not dwelling on my own thoughts for any longer than a mere second.

"All of the preparations have been made. We are simply waiting to make our move against Danzo," the Hokage replies, his voice a low, authoritative rumble fit for a Kage as opposed to the kind, soft tone of an old man. 

I can tell by the look on his face that he's still having a hard time believing that Danzo has most definitely betrayed us. At least when he murdered the Uchiha Clan, he had the excuse of protecting the rest of the village. Now, he doesn't even have that much to protect him.

"I see," I state. "Then I assume that I can take control immediately upon the arrival of the genin that have made it to this point?" I ask, raising an eyebrow, though I know that he can't see the action performed as a mere habit.

"Yes. They will arrive in about ten minutes, so make yourself useful until then," Hokage-sama orders. 

briskly before Shunshining directly in front of Itachi. The man in the weasel mask doesn't even flinch, although by the contortions of his eyes, he's grinning like a mad fool.

"Weasel, are you prepared to perform the necessary duties that I have laid out for you?" I ask, my tone demanding.

"Of course, taichou," Itachi replies, taking a low bow.

"How are things with our little bird?" I ask, using Sai's unintentional codename, hoping he and Itachi had been in contact recently.

"He hasn't been able to get word to us, so please be patient," Itachi replies, his eyes boring into the fox pupils of my mask. 

It truly is strange to render oneself blind after regaining one's sight. I nod to show that I understand before vanishing to speak with Nagato.

"Is everything alright on your end?" I ask, sensing curiously as the signs of Nagato's brief surprise quickly vanish.

"Yes," Nagato answers. "Everything is prepared, so please don't worry," he requests. 

"And Gaara?" I ask.

"It seems that he's simply upset with you. I take it that there's a personal problem and I recommend that you ask him about it. But I don’t have a professional opinion," Nagato suggests warmly, raising his eyebrows. I nod and Shunshin over to Kakashi.

"How are Sasuke and Sakura?" I ask immediately.

"Fine, Naru," Kakashi drawls. "They'll be here in a minute, so just be patient," he sighs. 

I scowl at him through my mask, though the expression more closely resembles a childish pout. I nod once more before appearing in front of my godfather, Jiraiya.

"How's everything on your end?" I ask swiftly.

"When Sarutobi-sensei told you to make yourself useful, I don't think that he meant to double check what he's already told you, kid," Jiraiya laughs. I growl under my breath.

"Shut up," I grumble. "I just want to be sure about this before I drag the genin into this," I explain, waving my hands in the air as if that would help me get my point across.

‘This is why I shouldn’t be in a position of authority!’

**“You’re too anxious for this bullshit, kit,”** Kurama grumbles.

"You mean that you want to be sure about this before dragging Sasuke into it," Jiraiya grins, signing Sasuke's name to make a point. My reaction is instantaneous, middle finger up proudly and facing my godfather.

"Prick," I mutter under my breath, though Jiraiya still catches it and chuckles at me. 

I sense the chakra of the remaining genin just outside the door. I vanish once more and Shunshin to stand at Hokage-sama's side. I take a deep breath and release it slowly, not taking a second to think about the amused looks my nerves earn me. 

'Jackasses.' I think to myself. 

The genin enter.

"Welcome, genin," Hokage-sama calls as they approach. "I am Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato," he announces with a kind smile fit for the face of a kind old man. "I hope that you have done well thus far, but let me introduce your next proctor," Sarutobi motions to me. I step forward and raise my chin, setting back my shoulders. I exude a sense of cockiness to mask my fear and self-doubt.

"Why hello there, my kawaii little genin," I grin. 

A few glares are narrowed at me, but I don't pay their owners any heed. 

"I am Kitsune-sama, the commander of Konoha's ANBU, and I will be your third proctor," I say tonelessly. 

Some eyes widen. It's unheard of that an ANBU gets involved with the Chuunin Exams. There's a first for everything, I guess. 

"My test will be your easiest, however, if you fail it, I get your heads," I smirk sadistically. 

Before any of them have a chance to react, Itachi has them locked in a genjutsu with the sole purpose of weeding out the last of the traitors. I drop my smile and pay close attention to the chakra signatures locked in the genjutsu. I can only hope that everyone who I believe to be an ally actually is an ally. It's a waiting game now. As long as Danzo hasn't gotten to any of the Konoha genin, they should be just fine. I still find myself grateful for my mask as I bite my lip in anxiety.

‘Why am I the one in charge of this again?’

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	22. The Preparations

**Chapter 22 - The Preparations**

**Author's Note: Sorry about the short chapter, but at least you guys have faster updates... This story really didn't turn out how I wanted it to at first. Yeah... Depressing…**

**Editor’s Note: I might be fixing it! Maybe…… I’m definitely happier with the beginning, but I still have a few more chapters to hammer out here! Give me encouragement by following the links in my bio!**

**Chapter 22**

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

As the genin begin overpowering the genjutsu and passing our little test, they stay huddled as far from me as they can get. They totally aren't afraid of me or anything. Sasuke and Sakura, the first two to come out of the genjutsu, don't try speaking to me or looking at me. 

It's good that they realize the part that they need to play now. Within minutes, Konoha's rookie 9 and team Gai successfully escape the genjutsu along with both of the remaining teams from the Sound and the Sand Siblings.

"Taichou," Itachi calls from above, causing my gaze to cut to him automatically. "No one else will be escaping the genjutsu, you can go on," he insists. I nod.

"Hello again, genin," I state calmly, the sadistic edge from my voice gone. "I'm sure that you're all wondering what that was for, yes?" I ask. There are a few nods while Shikamaru stares me down. "Well, that genjutsu was just our way of weeding out the rest of the spies that have infiltrated Konoha," I explain simply.

"Spies for who?" Neji asks, his eyebrows furrowing the slightest bit as he casts a slightly worried glance at Hinata. I catch Gaara's gaze carefully looking over the other genin.

"A traitor," I answer. "I believe only a few of you know my name, however now, you will all be trusted with the truth of my identity. Keeping my identity hidden means keeping my life, and I'd rather not die just yet, so keep that in mind, please," I request, forcing my mask to dissipate as I speak.

"Huh? Naruto?" Kiba shouts. 

"Is this a prank or something?" Chouji asks between bites of chips.

"No, it isn't," I answer. "I am Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, the jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, and I've been the commander of the ANBU since the Uchiha Massacre," I state. I hear Gaara growl slightly. "Gaara, what is your problem with me?" I shout in annoyance.

"I simply hate you and your stupid happy attitude," Gaara states.

"Well, get over yourself," I scold. "My village is going to war. I would help Suna if they needed it. Now, we need you," I demand.

"We will of course help, Naruto-kun," Temari interjects. "This is part of why our father sent us here. He’s suspected there may be a traitor in your midst ever since shinobi dressed in Konoha garb tried to assassinate him a few months ago," she explains. I nod.

"Why should I give a damn what that stupid old man wants?" Gaara asks harshly.

"You should be happy that you have a father," Neji replies venomously. 

Gaara's eyes meet Neji's, and I hold back a chuckle at the pink that surfaces on Gaara's cheeks.

‘Awwww, young love!’

**“Like you’re any better, kit,”** Kurama protests.

"Keep your youngest brother under control, please," I request easily. "Alright, everyone, listen up," I demand. "The identity of Konoha's traitor is Shimura Danzo. Almost everything has been prepared already, but now is the moment when we attack him. I cannot tell you why he is a traitor, as that is confidential, however I will tell you that you will be fighting special operatives called ROOT agents. Don't kill them, if at all possible, but since they are traitors, if you have no way of beating them, killing them won't be a problem," I explain.

"So, is this what you need my help with?" Shikamaru asks with a yawn.

"Yep," I answer, chuckling. "So, are you guys ready to kick some enemy ass?" I ask thunderously. 

There's a chorus of answers, all relating somehow to the word yes. I'll take what I can get, I suppose.

Children shouldn’t have to see war like this. It isn’t fair, not in the slightest. Maybe by doing this now, by doing everything I can to weed out the Konoha traitors and help the victims, I’ll be able to make a difference in the future. 

I can only hope that one day I’ll be able to change the world for the better, like I’ve wished for ever since I was a child. This is the first step into stopping that endless cycle of pain.

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	23. The Battle (1)

**Chapter 23 - The Battle (1)**

**Editor’s Note: For those of you who have returned to read the edited version but still remember the previous ending, I’m curious. Did you like it better before? Or does this ending feel more satisfying? Come share your answers with me on my other platforms where my notifications aren’t just constantly broken. Also, is anyone interested in “Moron Butterfly Princess” stickers?**

**Chapter 23**

**Third Person P.O.V.**

Who would've ever thought that the great Uchiha Sasuke would lose against an adversary? Certainly not Sasuke. Then again, it made sense. Facing a man who could've been Hokage, pretty much anyone would've lost. Plus, it didn't help that Danzo had jumped him when he was distracted by another opponent. 

Sasuke barely had a moment to comprehend the pain of something dull thudding into the back of his skull, along with the widening eyes of his enemy, before his vision faded to black. It was enough force to render him unconscious while his Sharingan was active. Now that's saying something.

Itachi had sensed Danzo's presence near Sasuke, and he practically growled when he figured out that the coward by the name of Shimura Danzo had kidnapped his baby brother. That was just plain unacceptable. 

And yes, the Uchiha pride nearly made him run after Sasuke all by his lonesome, but at the last moment, he managed to realize what a stupid idea that is. So, what did he do? Go tell Naruto and Shisui, of course!

Shisui's reaction was interesting to say the least. He raised an eyebrow. He gave Itachi a look that cried, "are you shitting me right now?" as his raised eyebrow twitched the slightest bit. His eyes seemed to unfocus the tiniest bit. Then, his Mangekyou Sharingan activated by itself. And anyone who managed to see the sadistic, insane grin that curved his lips a moment later ran away as quickly as possible, relieving themselves in their pants. 

So, Uchiha Shisui sits there, grinning like a madman for several seconds after Itachi tells him that his little cousin has been kidnapped by the bastard that murdered the rest of their family. And, if you think he's snapped, you're dead wrong. Shisui begins laughing loudly, maniacally. And now, the world realizes why he and Anko are so good for each other as Shisui begins loudly shouting about burning Danzo alive from the inside, out. 

Somewhere else, with a defenseless and unconscious Sasuke in his arms, Danzo forces himself to suppress an involuntary shiver, the reason for having unknown to him, at least for the moment. And the funny thing, Shisui still isn't fully unhinged. Dear kami-sama, that would be frightening.

Naruto's reaction, though, is even more terrifying. He had a small smile as he slashed through his latest opponent. That small smile didn't fade from his face as he heard the news. He blinked once, twice, three times, and then he blinked some more. 

His shoulders shook with silent laughter as his eyes began to widen. The marks on his cheeks begin to darken and his hair becomes wild, his eyes bleeding red. His nails lengthen into claws, and as his lips stretch into a terrifying grin, one can easily see his jaggedly sharp teeth. The terrifying grin turns into light laughter.

"I'm going to kill that bastard," he whispers, a sadistic gleam to his eyes. 

Itachi and Shisui take a step back. 

"I'm going to dismember him slowly and make him devour himself until there's nothing left!" he cries to the world, his manic laughter breaking apart the already threatening words. 

This time, Danzo nearly drops Sasuke from the force of the shudder running up and down his retarded spine. Rule number 17, Don't ever fuck with Naruto; it's a really bad fucking idea. Danzo should learn that rule, but no, because he's a fucking jackass.

"So, I take it that you'll come along, Naru-chan?" Itachi asks, slightly afraid of his taichou's mad appearance.

"Do you even need to ask, you moronic butterfly princess?" he replies. With that, the three ANBU take off at their fastest speeds to take down Danzo and ensure Sasuke's safety.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

My vision went red. It was similar to what I experienced when facing Richtin, but this time, the feeling lingered longer. I knew that this sensation and my red-tinged vision was due to me drawing from Kurama's chakra and will. 

**"Kit, you need to calm down,"** Kurama warns. 

'I can't Kurama. That fucking asshole took the love of my life. I'm not going to tolerate this. I'm going to kill him. The moment he set his sights on Sasuke was the moment that he made himself a dead man.' I explain. 

**"If you continue like this, your power might hurt Sasuke, kid,"** Kurama warns. 

'I won't hurt him.' I argue. 

**"Kit, you might. I'm just trying to warn you. You know now that you have little-to-no control like this,"**

'I'm not going to hurt Sasuke,' I assure him. 

Kurama grunts unconvincingly.

I catch the chakra signals of several ROOT operatives. I look at Itachi, who nods, before looking at Shisui, who does the same. Their nods mean something besides, "oh, look at that," they also mean, "go ahead without us." Sasuke's safety is the most important thing to the three of us, but for me, it's also my mission to ensure his life and well-being. If anyone understands the extent of my duties, it's my team.

The ROOT members leap out of their trees to pounce on us and stop our advance. With a burst of concentrated chakra, I'm instantly holding one of my father's kunai. A well-aimed throw takes me from the battle-to-be, though it also takes me face-first into a wall. I don't hesitate to keep moving, chasing Sasuke's chakra signature. 

I easily gain on Danzo within minutes. It's disconcerting that he appears to be heading towards the edge of the village. Surely he's realized that we've set up barriers. Even if he hasn't, running is cowardly. Then again, he's always been a two-faced son of a bitch.

The second that Danzo is in my line of sight, I think he realizes it as well. He turns and smirks at me in a victorious manner, Sasuke hanging limply in his arms. Anger pulses through me, but I attempt desperately to quell the emotion. I keep my face neutral, something that I've never been very good at, and narrow my eyes the slightest bit. I barely hear the chuckle that glides past that bastard's lips over the distance between us that several rooftops keep.

"Put Sasuke down," I order, not bothering to conceal my favoritism for the youngest Uchiha.

"I've been wanting to fight you for a while, Kitsune," Danzo grins. "I simply can't wait until you're on the ground begging for mercy," he says, the smile stretching his lips dangerously wide. "So, I guess I can put the little boy down, despite how impressive his sharingan are," Danzo finishes, dropping Sasuke roughly at his feet. 

I grit my teeth at his blatant disrespect. He jumps over Sasuke and onto the next roof, closing a fraction of the distance between us.

There's no signal to begin, but we start at the same time. We blur in the same instant, meeting in the center, his sword against mine. The force of the strike makes the world shudder. I don't hesitate to summon a kunai and jab it into his stomach. He grunts slightly and jumps back. 

I don't waste time celebrating my strike. I leap back and brace for the next attack. It's a flurry of hand signs and attacks and weapons. It's times like these when I wish that I had the Sharingan. My Sensory can only do so much to alert me to his next movements. 

And then, he makes a grave error. As I leap back to dodge an attack, he uses the opening to throw a kunai. The kunai ends up embedded not in me, but in Sasuke's chest, less than an inch from his heart. Now, my vision isn't just tinged red. Everything floods crimson, and I lose control. 

The only sensations I feel are my claws just barely scraping against flesh, not enough force carried in the enraged attack to do any damage, the world trembling violently, and the searing chakra enveloping me. Seven chakra tails lash the air furiously as I attack again and again, no rhyme or reason to it. 

One thought burns through me before the red fades to black. 

'I'll never beat him like this,'

**Obito's P.O.V. (Surprise!)**

Stumbling into Naruto and Danzo's battle is easily number one on my list of Terrifying Scenarios, but it was easy to see that even with Kyuubi's power, Naruto was losing to the old war hawk. Not by a large margin, but he won't be able to win like that. He needs to calm down and tap into his true power. I guess that's why I ratted myself out and trapped him in a genjutsu of my memories of the day he was born. That power is the sole reason that I tried to kill him then. No one person should have that power. 

It corrupts and kills and ravages. I only hope that Hokage-sama’s gamble with Naruto actually pays off. If he gains control of his power and turns his back on people, the entire world is screwed. 

Naruto, however, is Kitsune. He’s responsible for so many people. Even if he isn’t the most cut out for his position currently, the responsibility may give him the strength of will to remain loyal to his loved ones.

I face Danzo, suppressing my initial fear, and engage the enemy. We'll never rescue Sasuke if Danzo kills Naruto when I'm showing him just what he is. I won't allow this mouse-of-a-man to interfere.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

I know the signs of a genjutsu when I'm trapped in one. I try to break the genjutsu, but I'm left without success. It must’ve been an Uchiha. Which means that I’m probably stuck until I get through whatever Obito wants me to see. 

I hear a woman crying out in pain, so I decide to play along. I move towards the sound just to see something I never thought that I would, my parents. Things move quickly, almost dream-like. My mother gives birth to me, I get kidnapped, Kurama is released by none other than Obito Uchiha. 

Anger spikes through me at that, but I don't dwell on it. I know, almost instinctively, that he's the person showing me all of this. Then, when my mother and father seal Kurama within me, something else goes in as well. A power that I never knew that I had. And then, Obito starts talking.

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	24. The Battle (2)

**Chapter 24 - The Battle (2)**

**Author's Note: Hey! Sorry about the almost late chapter. I had my first day of work as an office assistant at my mom's work today, plus driver's ed. I was pretty busy. Just a reminder, this story concludes with chapter 25 and I will not be making a second book. I am considering another Genius!Naruto oriented story, but I'm currently working on my own novel right now. You'll be seeing some of that soon I think. I'm working on the outline right now, so... Anyway, enjoy the concluding chapters of A Tale of a Genius in the Making!**

**Editor’s Note: Funny story, I now have a full-time job and I am a student too. I don’t think I’ll make a sequel to this, but I might do a few one-shots from this universe later on. Would you guys be interested in that? Also, it’s called The Coming of the King now. Fun huh? Come tell me what you think on platforms that don’t destroy my notifications!**

**Chapter 24**

**Third Person P.O.V.**

Obito fights valiantly, but if even Naruto was beginning to lose to Danzo, he knows that he stands no chance of winning. Despite the hopelessness of the current situation, he presses on, forcing himself to forget what lies ahead if he loses. If he loses this battle, he and Naruto will both be killed and Danzo will have the chance of harming Sasuke. He just hopes that the genjutsu he trapped Naruto in will fade off sooner rather than later.

Unluckily enough for Danzo, Naruto is a quick learner, thus the genjutsu manages to get its point across much quicker than even Obito expected. Naruto's eyes blink open soundlessly. 

Before even standing up, he makes his power known. The ground shakes from the force of the release of that second power that had been sealed inside of him the day he was born. His features quickly begin to change.

Naruto's irises become red as he draws from Kurama's chakra. In his stillness, he collects Nature Chakra and enters Sage Mode, causing his pupils to change drastically and an orange color to collect around his eyes. His hair becomes unruly and his whisker marks darken and thicken. 

As the physical effects of his new power take over, the orange coloring around his eyes seemingly drips down his cheeks, forming tapering lines of orange on either of his cheeks, going seemingly over the thick, black whisker marks. The Rinnegan activates in his eyes, the violet striped pattern following the border of his iris instead of his pupil like with Nagato's. Only after all of the physical effects of his power have taken place does he rise.

"Thank you, Obito-san," Naruto says, his voice echoing through the now silent streets and rooftops. 

Obito resists the urge to shudder in fear of the power rolling off of Naruto. Danzo seems perturbed, but unafraid nonetheless. Naruto launches himself up onto a rooftop as Obito forces himself to Shunshin away from the battle about to take place once more. Then, all hell breaks loose.

Naruto doesn't hold back. He fights with the intent to kill.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

**Flashback no Jutsu**

As I free myself from the genjutsu, I feel Kurama pull me against my will into my mindscape. Anger swells within me. Now that I know a way to defeat Danzo, I need to kick his ass and make sure that Sasuke is safe.

"What the hell, Kurama!?" I shout upon being met with the fox. For some reason, Kurama is sitting up, straight backed and respectful.

**"Kit,"** he says in a warning voice. **"How about looking behind you?"** he suggests, his tone somehow indifferent. 

I spin on my heel furiously just to stop dead. The air left my lungs in my shock. For the second time today, I'm seeing my parents.

"Naruto!" my mother, Kushina, shouts. 

Her face lights up when my eyes meet hers. I feel my jaw drop. My dad, Minato, laughs at my expression.

"You guys are my parents," I state dumbly

"Well, yeah," my dad answers.

"How the hell..." I mutter to myself.

"Mind your language, young man!" my mom scolds.

"But how are you guys in my mindscape?" I ask, totally bewildered. "You can't blame me for being confuzzled, and plus, I've been cursing since I was four years old," I pout.

"Didn't your godparents scold you?" Dad asks, horrified.

"Which ones?" I grin sarcastically.

"Either or!" he responds.

"Fugaku-tou-san tried, but I have a scary glare," I offer. Mom groans. 

**"Kit,"** Kurama calls. 

I turn toward him. Every time I'm in my mindscape, it seems to surprise me just how Kurama looks. In my mind, he's a tiny ball of orange and red fluff with kawaii red eyes and nine poofy tails. In reality, he's a giant, towering, lean fox. He's orange and red and an almost muddy color that fits him well, somehow. His red eyes are more sinister and cynical and... well, sadistic rather than kawaii. His tails are poofy, though. 

**"When your parents sealed me inside of you, they left some of their chakra behind to be able to help you. They wanted to talk to you, so I pulled you in here. I know that you need to help Sasuke, so let's make this quick. Kushina,"** Kurama explains. I turn towards my scarlet-haired mother.

"This is about your power. The one you didn't know about," Mom states. I nod in understanding. "It's called The Coming of the King, and this is the second time it's ever occurred," my mother states.

"What does it do?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"It allows you to create chakra," my father explains. I feel my jaw drop again.

**Flashback no Jutsu End**

With the words of my parents as nothing more than a memory now, I fight. The Coming of the King will help me kill Danzo and save Sasuke, not that he usually needs saving. I create a massive burst of chakra that sends Danzo shooting backwards, past Sasuke. 

I rush forward and pick Sasuke up into my arms. I release another burst of chakra, knocking Danzo off his feet once more. Then, the just name pops into my head. It's simple. Chi no gihō ni yoru shi no shōin. The second the jutsu is performed, my irises flashing violet for a moment as I use one of my clan techniques, Danzo keels over, bleeding profusely before dying. 

I widen my Sensory range, being sure to keep Sasuke cradled close. I gradually begin to pump chakra into his body as I observe the rest of the battle. It appears that most of ROOT has been dismantled. There are very few fights going on right now. Very few loyal Konoha shinobi were hurt, and only two were killed. I didn't know either of them, but it's still a sad thing. It seems that clean up is what is most important right now. 

Sasuke begins to stir. The color begins coming back to his cheeks. I sense Obito land on the roof just next to me.

"Will he be alright?" Obito asks.

"Yes. I'm giving him more chakra now," I tell him. 

‘I need to be careful not to overuse this ability. It could destabilize the fabric of space-time, not to mention corrupt my mind,’

"I'm sorry," Obito says suddenly. 

"For trying to kill me?" I reply monotonously.

"Yeah," he responds.

"It's fine. Actually, I should be thanking you for deciding that I'm halfway decent," I chuckle.

"I'm still responsible for the deaths of your parents," Obito points out.

"Their deaths gave me Kurama and made me into the person I am now. You can't change the past, so just know that I've forgiven and forgotten," I say.

"Naru?" Sasuke croaks. 

I look to him again. His onyx eyes stare into mine. My heart skips a beat. Sasuke will live; he'll be fine. My entire body relaxes, and the fatigue begins to set in. My eyelids feel heavy, but I can't bring myself to close them from the sight of Sasuke just fine.

‘Ah, here’s the drawback. All strong abilities have one. I guess fainting is mine,’

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	25. The Conclusion of the Battle

**Chapter 25 - The Conclusion of the Battle**

**Author's Note: Sorry about the late chapter. I was working all weekend. Pretty sure my boss hates me... Anywho, you guys know my Twitter and Tumblr, so follow me there if you haven't already. Next chapter is the end. Love ya! BTW, my drawing of Naruto's appearance with his powers is on my Twitter, if you're interested.**

**Editor’s Note: Check out the links in my bio if you want! I could use some encouragement after weeks of editing this… I do indeed have a sketch of Naruto on my Twitter, but the coverart is mine too! The original cover was not, however.**

**Chapter 25**

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

I wake up groggily in warm, strong arms. I open my eyes slowly.

"You can't change the past, so just know that I've forgiven and forgotten," I hear a familiar voice saying. 

Naruto, my hazy brain supplies. His blond and red hair is unruly. His face is marked up strangely, though he doesn't seem to be particularly injured. His eyes are weird looking, but that's my Naruto.

"Naru?" I croak, my voice raspy. His eyes meet mine, and the breath I was struggling to draw into my lungs is suddenly gone again.

"You shouldn't talk just yet, Sasuke," Naruto replies after a few moments. I catch sight of my Uncle Obito hovering at Naruto's side protectively, though he seems a bit uneasy.

"Hey there, Sasuke," Obito greets with a small smile. "Just nod for me. Are you feeling alright?" he asks. 

I take a moment to make sure that I'm alright before nodding. My head hurts a bit, but other than that, I'm fine. 

"Do you remember what happened before passing out?" Obito asks. 

Naruto's face contorts in anger. I think back to remember someone hitting me in the back of the head before nodding once more.

"Obito, can you leave?" Naruto asks sharply. "I'll take care of Sasuke, so why don't you go check on Itachi and Shisui?" he asks, his voice making it sound more like a formal order rather than a polite question.

"Okay," Obito says, his eyes appearing a bit owlish, his face pale. 

Obito Shunshins off, presumably to where my brother and cousin are. Naruto gently sets me down on the roof he'd been standing on.

"Sasuke, can you stand?" he asks, his voice tired. I nod and pick myself up.

"What happened?" I ask after clearing my throat.

"Danzo kidnapped you," Naruto states, staring past me. 

I look over my shoulder. I feel my face fall. Danzo's body is collapsed on the ground in a puddle of his own blood. I know that there's too much blood for him to be alive right now.

"Are you hurt?" I ask, turning back to Naruto. He lowers his gaze to his feet.

"Not exactly," Naruto mutters. 

"What do you mean?" I find myself asking, disconcerted by Naruto's apparent nervousness.

"I'm out of chakra," Naruto states. "I need you to carry me to the hospital," he requests, an embarrassed blush rising to his cheeks. 

It takes me a moment to process his words, but in that moment, his knees buckle underneath him. I rush forward and scoop the all-powerful Kitsune into my arms. His eyes drift open again, the marks from his face fading and his eyes returning to normal.

"Yeah, don't worry," I smile gently at Naruto. "Put your arms around my neck and hold on," I tell him. 

Naruto wraps his arms around my neck and I shift him so that I'm carrying him on my back. 

"Can you stay awake?" I ask.

"Mm, dunno," Naruto murmurs

"You certainly don't sound like you can stay awake, dobe," I say, trying to be playful to mask my worry about him. 

Naruto hums again, his head dropping limply against my shoulder. 

"I didn't realize that it would take you so much effort to defeat Danzo," I point out quietly.

"He had sharingan. In his arm. Like what the fuck. Used a new power," Naruto sighs. "Drained me bad," he mutters.

"I can tell," I chuckle. "Why did you do all of that just to help me?" I ask, somewhat nervous about his answer for some reason.

"I love you, Sasuke," Naruto whispers tiredly. 

I feel the rise and fall of his chest against my back evening out as he quickly falls asleep. I'm left stunned, completely caught off guard by Naruto's confession. Happiness engulfs me, and I can't help the grin that breaks out on my face. I resist the urge to squeal in a Sakura-like manner so that I don't wake Naruto up. 

I follow the shaky chakra signatures of my uncle joining up with Itachi and Shisui. When I feel Naruto's breathing slow down the slightest bit, panic surges in me. He's totally out of chakra, which means that he's totally vulnerable. 

If someone were to attack, I wouldn't be able to fend them off by myself. With that thought in my head, I pump my legs faster and faster, straight out sprinting towards my family. When the three Uchiha come into view, I feel my grin resurface. I slow down as quickly as possible and skid to a stop before them.

"So it seems that you're okay," Itachi mutters.

"Is Naru okay?" Shisui asks quickly.

"He's out of chakra. Exhausted," I pant.

"Let's get him to Tsunade-sama," Itachi declares. "I'll lead, Shisui take back, Uncle Obito, watch the flanks," Itachi orders. 

Like that, we take off, running through the village towards the hospital. Itachi holds the door of the hospital open for me so I can bring in Naruto. An older woman with honey eyes and blond hair is yelling at two nurses who were, evidently, stupid.

"Tsunade-sama?" Shisui calls, saving the younger nurses from further vocal abuse. 

Tsunade turns around to face us.

"What did Naru-chan do this time?" she growls, staring at the unconscious Naruto whose head is leaning against my shoulder.

"Besides saving my life and killing Danzo, nothing much," I reply sarcastically, scowling at the woman. 

She raises an eyebrow. How dare she disrespect my Naru?

"So that fucking bastard is finally dead?" Tsunade asks with a straight face.

"I guess so, Tsunade-sama," Itachi answers, looking at me with a bewildered and flabbergasted facial expression.

"Alright then," she hums. "Brat, follow me," Tsunade instructs, leaving no room for argument. 

I nod.

"Ah, wait!" Shisui calls abruptly. Itachi perks up.

"Right," Itachi mutters. "Sasuke, we can't stay. We need to take ROOT into custody and start repairs, so don't wait up," he says strictly. "Look after Naru," he orders. "Shisui, Uncle, come on," he says, turning and walking out the door. Shisui and Obito follow him without another word.

"Okay, come on, kid," Tsunade prompts. "Right this way," she tells me, leading me through the halls to an empty room with a bed in it. "Put him down," she orders. 

I do as she says and ease Naruto down into the bed before readjusting his arms and legs into a comfortable position, paying no heed to the ache in my shoulders and back from carrying him around for so long. Naruto is surprisingly heavy. Then again, he is taller than me. Tsunade hovers her hands over his head and chest, a green glow encasing her hands and a look of concentration marring her features.

"Is he going to be okay?" I ask eagerly the second the glow dissipates.

"Yes," Tsunade answer. "He doesn't even need any healing, just some rest," she explains. "What are you guys planning to do?" Tsunade asks curiously.

"About Danzo and ROOT?" I clarify. Tsunade nods. "We'll move forward with convicting Danzo, even though he's dead. That should clear ROOT and my brother," I explain. Tsunade nods.

"That's a good thing to do. It'll clear Naruto of murder charges, too," she points out.

"Danzo was a traitor," I say, confused.

"The Council just wants any excuse to hurt him," Tsunade replies. I feel my brows furrow and my mouth tilts down in a scowl.

"That's stupid," I mutter.

"You understand things grown adults don't," she laughs. I find myself smiling at the comment, knowing that Naruto would agree with her.

**Itachi's P.O.V.**

No matter how many times you put someone in handcuffs, it always sends the same thrill down your spine. The power that such a simple action gives you over a person is almost addicting. Now, I think I understand why my father was a police officer. When I put cuffs on a beaten-up Sai, however, I can't help the guilt that nearly chokes me.

"Don't worry about this, Itachi-san," Sai says. "Just hold up your end of the bargain," he says, gritting his teeth.

"You don't have to worry about that," I tell him.

"That's good," he sighs. "These children deserve more than a death sentence," he says fondly.

"You're absolutely right," I chuckle.

"Ita!" Shisui calls from the doorway. 

I turn to look at him as I lock Sai's handcuffs. 

"That's all of them. We have ROOT in custody," Shisui reports.

"Understood," I reply. 

Hopefully, Naruto will be pleased with our results once he's woken up. I'll take care of as much as I can. I owe him that much for taking care of Sasuke. I owe him so much more for making Sasuke laugh again. With sentimental thoughts in my head, I lead Sai to the holding room where we're keeping the others. We exchange nods. He owes Naruto a lot too. We all do.

When I exit the building, I see a very disgruntled Shisui being essentially strangled by Anko. Despite the fact that he's being smothered, he has a happy look on his face. My own face lights up in a similar way when I see Kisame. This is love. And then, it dawns on me. 

This is how Sasuke and Naruto look at each other. Kakashi's comment of "nothing, sadly." makes sudden sense. Those stupid idiots are in love with each other, but neither have made a move. I'd bet that Naruto thinks that he's so discreet. Those fools.

**Edited 12-15-2020**


	26. The End

**Chapter 26 - Epilogue**

**Author's Note: This is it, the last chapter of this story. I hope that everyone enjoyed! Just know, I do plan on starting another Genius!Naruto fanfiction, but I'm not sure when yet. I want to try to get a bit further in my novel, which I'll actually be posting on here sooner or later. Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr! I hope you enjoy the epilogue.**

**NO QUESTIONS ABOUT POST-ENDING! I LEFT IT OPEN TO LEAVE IT TO EVERYONE'S OWN MIND!**

**Editor’s Note: I think I might end up satisfied with this, finally. I’d be willing to do some one-shots in this universe. If you’re interested, come bug me at the links on my bio!**

**Chapter 26**

**Epilogue - Naruto's P.O.V.**

As I open my eyes, I'm met with the faces of all three of the Sannin, which is surely unusual. I mean, only two of them are my godparents. Tsunade quickly contorts her face into a look of calmness before mustering up her courage to give me an angry glare. Jiraiya gives me a sympathetic smile and shrugs while Orochimaru simply exchanges glances with him. Tsunade clenches both her hands into tight fists.

"So, you're up, gaki," Tsunade points out.

"Um, yeah, I guess," I chuckle. "How long was I out?" I ask, expecting the answer to be an hour or two.

"Just over a day." she answers. 

I stare at her in bewilderment. 

"You realize that you're stupid, don't you?" she asks.

"Uh, yeah. I kind of know that already, baa-chan," I smile sheepishly. "Sasuke tells me all the time," I say, barely keeping myself from daydreaming about the gorgeous raven who just so happens to have caught my heart.

"That doesssssn't matter becausssssse you have work to do," Orochimaru hisses. He crosses his arms over his chest and gives me a reprimanding look, as if trying to say that the ANBU commander should be more careful to not cause a fuss.

"Oh really?" I ask. 

I try to look like I'm an innocent little shit, and by the slight narrow of Orochimaru's eyes, I can tell that my little trick doesn't quite work on him. My trick works quite well on Tsunade and Jiraiya, though, if their slight sighs are any indication.

"Yeah, you need to unseal the ROOT operatives. Now. They’re getting impatient," Tsunade orders.

"Oh no! Hokage-hime is giving orders!" Jiraiya teases.

"Jiraiya!" Tsunade protests. She shoots him a glare and pops one of her knuckles, making the perverted Sannin flinch slightly in mild terror.

"Hokage? Okay, now I know that I'm dreaming," I sigh. 

Tsunade, as Hokage? The village will surely burn down sometime towards the beginning of week one.

"Ssssarutobi-ssssensssssei thinkssss that he'sssss getting to old to continue being Hokage. And he feelssssss that he may be getting a bit too conniving to have hissss ssssubordinatessssss continue to trusssssst him," Orochimaru explains. I tilt my head to the side and make a face.

"I guess that's understandable. He's crazy fucking old. Don't even know how that geezer is still alive anymore. And I don’t think he’s ever told me the truth about something in my whole life," I mutter to myself. "Wait, so he told baa-chan to do it?" I exclaim suddenly, my face paling.

"What's so weird about that, gaki?" Tsunade snarls. 

Terror rips through me, hard and fast. I may be ANBU commander, but baa-chan still scares the living daylights out of me with startling ease and accuracy.

"Nothing!" I squeak. "I should get ready to help ROOT," I say, shooing the Sannin out of my hospital room. 

As soon as they leave, I unseal a set of clothes from my storage seals and dress, albeit a bit shakily. I suppose that I was injured more than I had originally thought. It's kind of staggering that Sasuke managed to drag me back here in my condition when he was in his. Even more staggering still is the fact that he agreed to carry me on his back. I go to the door and open it.

"Ready?" Jiraiya asks. 

Surprise makes an appearance on my face as I see my godfather waiting by the door, patiently awaiting my arrival.

"Huh?" I start.

"I'm escorting you incase you pass out again," he explains. 

He doesn't look much too troubled at the sour look on my face. He knows very well that I can take care of myself. I really don't like being made a cripple, especially since I'm not crippled anymore, just injured.

"Um, yeah. Sure," I mutter. 

We walk through the halls to the lobby and Jiraiya quickly tells one of the nurses that we're leaving for an hour at most. 

"So, am I coming back?" I ask as we exit the hospital. 

It's a redundant question. I had heard him tell the nurse that we'd be back and he knows that. He's simply going to tolerate my reiteration.

"Yep," Jiraiya answers. 

One look at me tells him that he'd better tell me why. I have my zero-toleration-for-bullshit-face on. 

"Your chakra system fully crashed. Tsunade-hime thinks that it would be best if you stayed in the hospital another day or two. She's got things handled out here, so you can just kick back and relax," he explains, shrugging his shoulders. "She knows that you don't handle stress very well, you know," Jiraiya points out with a frown. "A break would be good for you," he argues.

"Alright. I guess I can tolerate a break," I agree. "However, if she tries to keep me from my duties as commander, there's gonna be blood and tears. Both hers," I threaten.

"I'll tell her to keep that in mind," Jiraiya laughs. 

We continue walking in silence, just enjoying each other's company. I've always gotten along well with Jiraiya, so it's no surprise that I can be myself around him. 

"Well, here we are," he states, stopping in front of a large building on the edge of the red light district. 

I recognize it as a building full of holding cells for potentially dangerous criminals. Anger spikes through me, but I force myself to take a deep, calming breath to control Kurama's chakra. I had been held here repeatedly as a child.

"You're keeping a bunch of scared, traumatized children here?" I ask, slightly skeptical, slightly irritated. 

ROOT has done bad things, yes, but overall, they are the victims in this situation as well. They were forced to betray their village, and only the survivors are left now, however many that may be.

"It was the only way to appease the council. They're the only ones here though," Jiraiya explains. 

I sigh. At least those bastards with the sticks up their asses had the common sense to not hold frightened children in the same building as terrifying criminals.

"I hate them," I mutter less-than-quietly. 

Jiraiya laughs, but doesn't voice his opinion. As what I assume is the duty of Tsunade-baa-chan's counselor, maybe, I don't push him for his opinion on those soon-to-be blood-covered, god-forsaken jackasses.

"Come on, let's go in," he offers. 

Jiraiya opens up the main door for me, allowing me to enter first before stepping in himself and closing the door again. I've been in this building many times, and it never gets easier. This is the place where the council demanded I be brought before my first hearing. This is where they kept me captive the first time they tried to get me publicly executed, and every time after that. This building holds things meant to stay in nightmares.

"Where are the ROOT operatives being kept, Jiraiya-tou-san?" I ask, looking at my godfather with an unrelenting, unforgiving gaze.

"I'll take you," he states. 

I nod my head, motioning for him to lead the way and fall into step just behind him. Jiraiya leads me through a series of twists and turns and down a staircase. I recognize the path instantly. This is the way to the execution room. Villagers would watch as criminals were executed. Once, Hokage-sama found out just in the nick of time that I went missing. He found me here, with the axe against my neck.

"You didn't," I mutter darkly.

"It's not like that!" Jiraiya immediately protests. "They wanted to stay together, and this room was the only one large enough," he explains. 

I feel myself calm down the slightest bit. If any of these kids had been executed, death and dismemberment were sure to come to whatever assholes decided it was their place to play god.

"If any of them are hurt or scared, heads are going to roll," I warn.

"Um, not mine, right?" he asks nervously.

"No," I answer with a sigh. "But I will slaughter the entire civilian council," I threaten darkly.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," Jiraiya chuckles fearfully.

"Don't get on my bad side," I say, sporting a sudden smirk.

"You're a little shit," Jiraiya laughs.

"No fucking duh, goddamn pervert sage," I grin. 

We stop in front of the door leading to the execution room and Jiraiya holds it open for me. I stroll in like I own the place. Only the younger ROOT operatives survived Danzo's uprising, Sai being one of the few exceptions. All of the children rise and bow. They're the definition of a perfect shinobi, relatively emotionless and always, always following orders.

"Kitsune-sama," they chorus in greeting.

"At ease, soldiers," I command. 

After everything these traumatized children have gone through, there really is no better term for them. Everyone straightens up, uneasy looks on their faces. Their grooming process wasn't complete, though. They didn't have to slaughter each other and figure out which one would reign victorious. 

"Have you all been treated okay? Has anyone attempted to harm you while being here? Are any of you frightened?" I ask quickly, my tone strict and focused. I need answers to all of these questions.

"Yes. No," they chorus easily, but the third answer is mixed. 

Those who had answered "yes" to the third question, admitting their fear, blushed and looked anywhere but the scolding eyes of their comrades. Rule Number One for a ROOT operative, don't ever admit fear. In this case, however, it was more than fine.

"That's alright," I assure them. "I'm glad to hear that all of you are alright. From this moment forward, ROOT is being disbanded," I state. Hopeful faces watch me. "I will remove the seals on your tongues here and now," 

At this, cheers go up from the children, and the older ROOT operatives still alive grin to each other. 

"If any of you wish to join the ANBU, you'll be tested for such. The rest of you who wish to be shinobi will have to start as genin, but I'm sure that we can work something out. I know that you would all rise in the ranks very quickly, however if you wish to be civilians, there is no issue with that," I explain. 

Everyone nods in understanding. They're used to taking orders, and now is no exception. 

"Now, please line up in an orderly fashion for your seal to be removed," I request. 

Sure enough, the former ROOT members line up in perfect formation, just like the soldiers Danzo made them into. One by one, I remove their seals. Most of the children cry in relief, and I smile to see the ever-serious Sai comforting them with ease.

"Kids, you're free to go," Jiraiya tells them, avoiding the urge to look inappropriately at any of the girls. "If any of you wish to continue as shinobi, you must take that up with the new Hokage, Senju Tsunade. Just stop by the Hokage Tower when you have a spare minute," he states, pausing slightly and looking at me quickly. 

"You will all be promptly reimbursed for your services to Konoha. This here," he starts, waving a paper in the air along with an envelope. "is a list of apartments now gifted to you by Hokage-sama. The corresponding keys are in here," he states, showing off the envelope before putting both on a table by the door. 

"We should be getting you back to the hospital, Naruto, preferably before you faint again. You really need to stop overdoing it," he grumbles. 

I'm relieved that none of them will be thought of like traitors. They've done more for this village than anyone, even myself, will ever know or understand.

"Sure thing, tou-san," I agree. 

I flash a grin and a wave to the younger children and exit with Jiraiya. I can hear joyous talking and laughter. All I can think is, 'It's good that they can still laugh like that.' 

We walk back to the hospital in silence. Once we arrive at the hospital, Jiraiya makes me wait while he tells another nurse that I've come back before escorting me to my room. I don't remember falling asleep, but evidently, sleep comes easily.

**Later That Evening - Naruto's P.O.V.**

As my mind begins to stir from slumber, the first thing that I'm aware of is a heavenly scent invading my senses. The second thing I notice is the feel of a hand in mine, and I'm vaguely surprised at how perfectly our hands fit together. The next realization I have is the sound of low humming, some love song, I think. 

Soon enough, I find the courage to pry my eyes open. Sasuke is the first thing I see. His nose is buried in a book that he supports with one hand, the other holding mine, and he's humming quietly as he reads. He seems comfortable, dressed in sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt, and he looks like he's been here for hours. Based on the sun sinking down the horizon out my window, I know that I've slept the day away.

"Sasuke?" I croak, wishing I had drank some water before attempting to call his name. 

The young Uchiha looks up sharply, surprise contorting his pale face. Suddenly, his entire face flushes crimson, a color that I can't help but think he should wear more often if it makes him look like that. I feel the blood rush to my face as I realize two things. One, Sasuke is holding my hand and we fit together like two pieces to the same puzzle. Two, the last thing I remember saying to him was something along the lines of, "I love you." 

"Hey, Naruto," Sasuke greets shyly. 

He sets his book down and shifts to grab a cup of water, not releasing my hand. Sasuke hands me the water and I drink it gratefully before realizing that it hadn't been full. Which means that the water must have been Sasuke's. Which means that we shared an indirect kiss. The realization makes my face feel like it's on fire.

"Thanks," I mutter, wishing I could hide the red tint to my cheeks but desperately not wanting to let go of Sasuke's hand. 

We sit in silence for a minute, looking anywhere but each other. 

"So, I guess I said something pretty embarrassing before passing out, huh?" I chuckle nervously, desperately hoping that Sasuke's response is positive. 

The ice-breaker is always the toughest part. I'm hoping that he now takes some initiative, or I'll have to quickly before I lose my balls and tell him it was a joke or something stupid.

"Yeah," Sasuke chokes out, seemingly surprised that I was the one to bring it up.

"Look, I don't want to pussy-foot around here," I sigh, mustering up some internal strength that I didn't know was in my possession. "Uchiha Sasuke, I love you." I state, looking directly into the wide eyes that snap to meet mine at the confession. "I want to be with you for the rest of our lives and longer," I tell him. 

"Even an eternity wouldn't be enough time with you, and we've missed out on so much of it already," I say, internally mourning our loss of time. I should've said all of this from the beginning. "I love you, so please, give me an answer?" I request, bowing my head respectfully, or as much as I can laying in bed.

"Idiot," Sasuke suddenly blurts out. "How could you not know? Sakura says that I'm so obvious that it's painful to watch," he mutters. "I've been in love with you since we were kids, Naruto. You're right, eternity isn't nearly long enough, so let's make up for lost time," he says, tilting my chin up to look into my wide eyes. 

"I love you with all of my heart, Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto." he says warmly, a loving and tender smile gracing his pale lips. Before I can even process what this will mean for our futures, I crash my lips to his, joining them in a warm kiss. Truthfully, I'm not sure where we'll end up, I just know that as long as we're together, we'll be just fine.

**Final Editor’s Note: Oh, god, it’s done again. This story, when initially completed, was 268 pages. Now, it’s 332. I think that I might be satisfied now. Come tell me what you thought on my social media!**


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